


Kidnapping the Waynes

by CloakedSparrow



Series: Collected Bat-Family Stories [42]
Category: Batman (Comics), Detective Comics (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Super Sons (Comics), Young Justice (Comics)
Genre: Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Aftermath of Violence, Attempted Kidnapping, Attempted Murder, Bat Brothers, Bat Family, Canon-Typical Violence, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Friendship, Gen, Guns, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, Major Injury (not a major character), Masturbation, Minor Injuries, No Romance, No Sex, No Smut, POV Alternating, Referanced Past Underage Rape/Non-Con (not a major character), Referenced Past Child Murder (not a major character), The Rogues (DCU) Mentioned, Threats of Rape/Non-Con, father-son bonding, most of these warnings are from discussions of criminals' history
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 14:27:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 48,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15687246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CloakedSparrow/pseuds/CloakedSparrow
Summary: Someone wants to exploit Bruce Wayne. They decide to go after his children, hiring Rogues and criminals to do their dirty work. Fortunately, the Wayne family is much more capable than Bruce's enemies expect. Alone, they're impressive. Together, they're unstoppable.





	1. Jason

**Author's Note:**

> This story references several other stories in this series, but should stand well enough on its own. Mainly discussions and events from ['Last Laugh, First Steps'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15281652) are mentioned a few times and the Batman R.I.P. storyline from canon is also referenced.

Jason wondered what it said about him as a person that coming back from the dead legally and socially felt like it was actually more of a pain in the ass than literally coming back from the dead had been. 

In all fairness, the legal aspects had been harder on the family than it had been on him. He was pretty sure Tim went for six consecutive days without sleep as he researched and laid out a plan to explain Jason’s ‘death’ and the time he spent missing since. Bruce was clearly straining to prevent his tone from becoming more Batman-like the longer he had to talk to lawyers, judges, detectives, and reporters. Kate, Dick, and Tim were taking their fair share of press duty, plus Dick and Alfred were largely responsible for keeping Damian in line while the whole family was under the fourth estate’s microscope. 

Cassandra had to fly back to Hong Kong in secret and return in time for Jason’s homecoming ball using one of the Wayne family’s private jets because it would look suspicious if she just appeared in Gotham with no visible means of travel. She’d also hidden her move to Blüdhaven until after Jason’s return was announced in order to avoid people finding it too coincidental that her move coincided with Black Bat’s arrival in the same city. The family also didn’t want the press questioning why she suddenly decided to move closer to home while they were arranging for Jason to be brought back, so her announcing the move afterwards worked best for everyone. 

The Wayne children never bought actual papers anymore normally, but each of the boys bought a copy of the Gotham Gazette from the day she’d pulled that off. It featured a large photo of their sister on the front page, coming down the exit ramp of the jet looking like a modern day princess in Prada boots and Gucci sunglasses. There was also a smaller photo of her hugging Tim, who had picked her up, along with some quotes of how overjoyed they were to have their brother back. ‘ _I don’t have the words to say how happy I am_ ’ Cassandra had commented, while Tim had described it as ‘ _Like getting back a piece of you that was missing when you had been sorely aware of its absence_ ’. Jason and Dick also bought copies of the Gotham Inquisitor that ruined the grace of the previous article by publishing a photo of Cassandra pinning Tim under her arm to give him a noogie shortly after greeting him. 

All three photos were proudly displayed in their homes and had also turned up attached to the refrigerator in the Manor one morning before disappearing into one of Alfred’s scrapbooks.

Aside from the research, fudged medical records, press detail, and travel issues, everyone had to learn the ‘official’ story like the back of their hand. It was close enough to the truth to be easy to remember, with enough fiction to make sense without giving away the existence of the Lazarus pit, and to prevent anyone from connecting Jason to Robin or Red Hood. 

Everyone was told the same thing: Jason ran away to find his biological mother and was kidnapped for ransom but accidentally ‘killed’ in an explosion. Except that he’d been thrown far enough by the blast to survive and remain hidden from his kidnappers. Said kidnappers came up with a substitute body to ransom back to Bruce, and an investigation was currently open to discover how they’d made sure the body was identified as Jason’s by the coroner. Meanwhile, a good Samaritan found Jason and took him to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, this occurred in Ethiopia, where no one knew who Jason Todd-Wayne was or that he was missing, so no connection was made between the missing billionaire's son and the young John Doe. 

Jason spent some time in a coma and then had retrograde amnesia. By the time he recovered enough to realize where he belonged and find out what was going on back home, he became both ashamed and royally pissed. Ashamed that he’d ran away and caused so much turmoil. Pissed that he’d been buried, forgotten, and as far as he could tell, replaced. The result was that he returned in Ethiopia, first recovering fully and then living quietly while working for an aid agency run by Drake Industries. 

His life in Ethiopia lasted until Dr Leslie Thompkins recognized him when she was volunteering for the same aid agency and happened to cross paths with the young man.

Realizing that he’d been wrong to stay away for so long and having grown enough to understand that Bruce accepting his death and fostering/adopting Tim had nothing to do with his feelings for him, Jason finally returned home. His return had been kept quiet from the public for a year as he built and rebuilt his relationships with his brothers, sister, and father. Bruce explained to many reporters and lawyers that he didn’t push Jason to legally reclaim his identity right away because he wanted him to have that time with his family before the world descended upon him. 

The social ramifications of returning from the dead were flat out pissing Jason off. People he’d barely known were suddenly claiming to have been old school friends, girlfriends, and even mentors in order to grab the spotlight for awhile. They spoke of how much they’d missed him; how his death had affected them; and how confused but elated they felt at his return. It seemed like every other day Jason, Bruce, or one of his siblings had to address some rumor or another. 

Reporters would stop him at random places to ask him questions that shouldn’t be of any interest to anyone not personally attached to him. He understood questions about his job at Wayne Enterprises or how it felt to be back in Gotham after living in Ethiopia for so long. Those questions, however, were quickly brushed aside to ask if he was dating anyone, or if he was going to challenge Tim’s position in the family business, or how he felt about the appearance of Bruce’s ‘real’ son, Damian. 

His responses to the latter questions were quickly leading to him having a reputation for being difficult with the press. He thought it wasn’t his fault reporters couldn’t take a joke or accept when they’d crossed a line. Bruce, apparently, thought otherwise. 

His latest phone call made that clear. 

“Jason, you have to reel it in a little with the press. If you mainly ignore them or give them the same trite answers, they’ll get bored with you and move on. If you keep goading them, they’re going to turn on you and you can’t afford for them to try looking for a scandal to tie you to.”

Jason couldn’t help but roll his eyes, even if his adopted father couldn’t see him. “I’m not goading them. You ask a stupid question, you’re not gonna get a brilliant answer.”

“You don’t need to give a brilliant answer, you need to give a boring one.” Bruce sounded like he was more tired than aggravated. “And lay off the sass. You’ve told five reporters that they were too old for you and told two more that they weren’t your type-”

“And it was true each time. Why do they care if I’m dating anyone anyway?” Jason thought the whole celebrity thing was incredibly stupid and a sure sign of irresponsible journalism. “This is _Gotham_. Don’t they have more important issues to report on? Like the insane crime rates or the ever-growing divide between the upper class and the destitute or the number of times Arkham has a breakout?”

To his surprise, Bruce sounded understanding rather than irritated at his reply. “Jason, you know as well as I do that there are a good number of people in this city who don’t want to acknowledge everything that’s wrong here. Instead, they’d rather focus on what the local celebrities are doing. Giving the reporters a hard time isn’t going to change that. Its just going to make it more difficult to live your life.”

“I can handle it.” It wasn’t as if life had been easy up to that point. Jason knew reclaiming his identity would make it harder. Now he had a persona to flesh out and present in order to protect his secret identity. He accepted that he was never going to be Dick or Tim. Was never going to play the part of charming, loving son or responsible, devoted heir. If he gained a reputation as the sassy, difficult Wayne, he could live with it. 

In the end, he couldn’t really explain it, but it was just _worth it_. It was worth having to deal with all the extra hassle if he meant he got to be Jason Todd again. Not that he was giving up Red Hood, but he knew he could have both. 

Bruce knew it too. He had to. But it seemed he wasn’t done trying to talk Jason into handling the situation his way. Which, honestly, wasn’t anything new. 

Unfortunately for Bruce, he chose the wrong tactic next. “What about Tim and Damian? Th-”

 _That_ , Jason wasn’t about to let slide. “What about them?” He knew he wasn’t a sterling example of fraternity, but he also knew that he was a damn good big brother where it counted. 

By some strange turn of events, Tim was actually closer to him than any other member of the family these days. Dick had even told Jason that he felt better knowing their little brother had someone he would turn to the next time he felt depressed or ostracized from the family. Even if Tim didn’t turn to Jason for help, anyone who hurt the boy was going to find themselves on the wrong end of Red Hood’s Jericho 941s. 

Damian wasn’t going to make it easy for anyone to love or respect him, which was something Jason could understand. While Jason firmly believed that Damian needed to work on his attitude and his ego, he didn’t think the kid needed quite as much work as their father and big brother thought he did. Jason stressed the need for self control, and to value his siblings, but didn’t tell Damian it was wrong of him to want to just take the bad guys out sometimes. He had to believe that having that understanding helped Damian feel more accepted. Besides that, Dick had Damian covered on the emotional front, so all Jason had to do was be there if the kid got himself into trouble or needed help with heavy lifting and Jason did both whenever needed. 

“Well for one, Damian isn’t pleased by your comment that it doesn’t matter how many times he claims to be my true heir because everyone knows Dick is my favorite.” Bruce’s tone and cadence were starting to cross into irritated territory now. 

Jason suspected that was as much because of his youngest brother’s reaction and the subject in question as it was because of him. “When is Damian ever pleased? Besides, we all know its true. The brat might as well make his peace with it. Not like he can complain much, since Dick is _his_ favorite too.”

“Jason...” Bruce’s tone suggested he was going to try being sympathetic. Bruce was not good at sympathy. 

Jason was not good at accepting it either. Especially from his father.

He decided to cut the man off before they started fighting again. “I’m not upset about it or anything, B. Its just a fact of life that Dick is exactly what you want and need in a son. As far as Damian goes, I have my favorite brother too and it sure as hell isn’t him. Timbers and I can form our own middle brother support group if we decide we just can’t deal with Marsha and Cousin Oliver anymore. Okay?”

“Don’t call them that.” Bruce was clearly torn between feeling bad at how his middle sons felt and feeling irritated at how his eldest and youngest were being teased. The fact that he found the Brady analogy amusing probably didn’t help him sort out his feelings.

Jason didn’t want a lecture any more than he wanted sympathy. Mostly, he just wanted the conversation to end at this point. Unfortunately, he was making his way through the bank’s multilevel parking garage and wasn’t likely to find any excuse to beg off the conversation until later. He figured the best way to cut it short without starting a fight was to give Bruce something to balance his feelings. “Dick has been in on the joke since it started, B, and we _never_ use it when Damian might hear.” 

Jason doubted Damian would get the reference even if he did catch them using any Brady names. In fact, the rest of the Wayne boys had some of their passwords based on the joke for that very reason. That meant they had an extra incentive not to let Damian in on it. Not that he was going to fill Bruce in on that part. It really wouldn’t strengthen his point. 

What _would_ work to get Bruce to drop it was something to appeal to his paternal side. Jason could have smacked himself for not thinking of it sooner. He smirked. “Besides, Damian gives us as much crap as we give him. Brothers tease each other, that’s just how it works. If you don’t like it, blame yourself for having so many kids.”

Bruce tried to turn the gust of air that followed into a thoughtful hum, but Jason could hear the little smile he was hiding. The one that popped up from time to time when he watched his kids interact as family rather than a vigilante team. “I guess that’s fair enough.”

He took a breath, and the irritation was gone from his voice. “I’ll tell Damian to tone down the ‘true heir’ comments. And you… I know you can take care of yourself, but I also know how frustrating it can be to deal with all this as a young man and how tempting it can be to just shut the press down. If you could, try not to antagonize any reporters, okay?”

That was truthful. It was fair. It was honestly more than Jason had expected. He figured if Bruce was willing to give that much, the least he could do was try to meet his father halfway. “Alright. I can’t promise I’m going to play nice because, well, you know me.”

Bruce made a sound of amusement. It was his equivalent of a chuckle, anyway. For the first time, Jason thought they actually might resolve an issue without any yelling or going three days without speaking in the process. It made him happier than he’d expected. “But I’ll try not to say anything that might make things difficult for the family.”

“I suppose that’s all I can ask.” While the words weren’t the clearest to suggest he wasn’t annoyed, Bruce’s tone was pleased. Jason was glad he could still tell. 

Bruce still sounded encouraging when he continued. “Are you having dinner at the Manor tonight?”

It was such a normal question that it actually took Jason a second to make sense of it. When he did, he grinned. He was spending more time at the Manor lately than he had since he lived there. It was nice, to be welcome. 

“Yeah. I’m picking up Tim on the way. You need us to stop anywhere?” 

While Bruce explained -in amusement- that he wouldn’t know what they needed since the kitchen was pretty much Alfred’s domain, Jason reached his parking level. As he came in from the stairwell, he noticed a young woman standing by the elevator. Her body language spoke of fear and her expression was nervous. 

Her voice was quiet and a little mumbled as she spoke into her phone. “I don’t know. I don’t see anyone now. Maybe I should just make a run for my car?”

Jason stopped. “Bruce hang on, I think this lady’s in trouble here.”

“Be careful.”

It was such an odd response, considering the dangerous things they routinely did in their family, that Jason actually frowned at his phone. The brief silence afterwards told him that Bruce realized how out of place the dad-like remark must have sounded. 

Jason decided to let it go and held his phone against his chest. He called out to the woman, trying not to sound threatening or creepy. He also remembered that he was part of high society at the last second and managed to refrain from starting with ‘hey lady’. “H- Uh, excuse me, Miss? You okay?”

The woman startled at his voice. Her eyes darted to him and she stared like a deer in the headlights for a second before taking in the door behind him and seeming to calm slightly. Apparently, she realized he had just entered the parking level. 

She hesitated for a moment before her attention was drawn to her phone. She glanced at Jason again before responding to the person on the other end. Jason waited. From what he’d heard, the woman was clearly a little jittery from something that had happened before his arrival. 

“No, some guy just came in through the stairwell.” She looked Jason over more throughly. “No, he doesn’t look like the guy from before. This guy’s _way_ bigger. Looks younger too.”

After a brief exchange with whoever she was talking to, the woman looked at Jason, appearing both relieved and embarrassed. Her next words were directed at him. “Sorry. There was this guy hanging around my car. He was...creepy.” She glanced over the parking lot. “I don’t see anyone now but I just couldn’t get myself to _move_ , you know?” 

Jason nodded. “Smart to stay by the exit.” He looked over the parking lot. He couldn't see anyone else, but he knew better than most how easy it was to hide in the smallest of shadows. He turned back to the woman. “I could walk you to your car, if you want?”

The woman hesitated. Jason offered a non-threatening smile. “My name’s Jason Todd-Wayne.” He indicated her phone. “Tell your friend or whoever.”

She hesitated at the comment, but then nodded. “He gave me his full name. Jason Todd Wayne. He’s offered to walk- What do you mean?” She looked at Jason again, and then her eyes widened slightly. “Shit. You’re right.”

She suddenly scoffed. Then she dropped her voice, clearly thinking Jason could no longer hear her. “Stop laughing! I’m in a crisis, how was I supposed to recognize him? Plus ‘Todd’ sounds as much like a middle name as a surname...and I don’t know a lot of guys who hyphenate, okay?”

Jason had to fight his own laugh at the woman’s arguments. When he cleared his throat, she held her hand over her phone and smiled a little sheepishly. He gestured toward the parked cars. “So...shall we?” 

Looking relieved that her friend knew who she was with, the woman nodded. She held her phone back to her ear. “Okay, he’s going to walk to me my car. I’ll call you back once I have my phone plugged in. Okay. Yeah. I will. Bye.”

She turned back to Jason with a shy smile. “Thanks for this.”

“No problem.” Jason started toward the parking area, slowing enough to give the woman the hint that she needed to direct him to her car. She stepped away from the elevator and walked beside him, heading toward the East-most corner. 

Jason put his phone back to his ear. “Hey, Dad?”

That definitely got Bruce’s attention. He mostly called Bruce ‘dad’ when they were in a situation where they might be overheard by someone who didn’t know who they really were. Outside of those situations, he most often used the term when something had triggered a strong emotional response. A few times it had just slipped out when he was distracted and Jason chose to ignore it. 

For the most part, Bruce did too. There was always a gleam to his eye though, whenever Jason or Dick called him dad. Dick had suggested they try to build up to using the term more often since it seemed to mean a lot to Bruce. Jason figured Bruce deserved the title more than his biological father did, so he agreed. It was still harder than he thought it would be. 

At present, he figured it would help calm the young woman beside him to hear that he was just talking to his father. Since he was technically in public, it would give him an excuse to test out the word intentionally. Of course, Bruce didn’t know any of this, so he reacted as though something were awry.

“What’s going on?” He sounded like he was torn between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Unsure whether to be more concerned for his son or for the citizens of Gotham.

Jason hoped Bruce couldn’t hear his grin in his voice at the concern. “Nothing like that. This woman was creeped out by some guy hanging around the parking lot. I don’t see anyone now, but I’m going to walk her to her car just in case. See you at dinner.”

Bruce gave a real chuckle. “I forgot what a gentleman you could be.” He sounded more serene than Jason had ever heard. He’d been sounding that way more lately. It was as if he was rebuilding Bruce Wayne, the _real_ Bruce Wayne, as they rebuilt the family. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

Jason rolled his eyes but ended the call without comment. He glanced at the woman. “Does your father always have to take a crack at you too?”

She gave a small, surprised chuckle and her body language relaxed further at the normal conversation, just as he’d hoped. “No, uh, that’s usually my mom’s department.”

“Ah, guess its just a parent thing.” Jason kept his body language calm and casual as they walked, but he kept his senses alert for any sign of someone skulking about the cars they passed. When the woman pointed out her car ahead, he approached it first and glanced in the windows and underneath it. 

He offered the woman a small shrug. “Looks like the coast is clear.” 

She looked embarrassed again. “Yeah. Thanks.” She released an abashed chuckle. “I’m sorry about all this. I feel kinda silly now.”

Jason shook his head. “There’s no reason to feel silly...or to apologize. It wasn’t any trouble and its better to be safe than sorry, right?”

“Right.” The woman smiled and stepped forward to offer her hand. “Well, even under the circumstances, it was nice to meet you, Mr Todd-Wayne.”

Jason couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly at the title. He still hadn’t gotten used to his new legal name. He normally heard it from reporters or lawyers, but it sounded even stranger coming from a regular person he’d met at the bank. He remembered to take her hand anyway. He couldn't help but think Alfred would be proud of his manners. 

Still, he couldn't help but offer a light correction. “Jason is fine, for future reference.”

She smiled again. “I’m Rowen. I hope I see you around, Jason.” She moved forward quickly and offered a nimble kiss on his lips before pulling away with a blush. Then she got in her car and offered one more smile and a quick wave before backing out of her parking space.

Jason returned the smile and the wave. He wasn’t interested in pursuing anything, but he didn’t think Rowen was either. She’d just been charmed by a local celebrity and decided to throw care to the wind for a second. He wasn’t thrilled about it, about being a celebrity at all, but he wanted her to know there was no harm done.

Or so he’d thought. 

After she drove off, he turned to head toward his own car (because Red Hood drove a motorcycle and that meant distancing himself from them in the public eye). On the way, he noticed his lips starting to tingle. Then, they felt numb, as did his fingers and toes. Then his entire body began to feel heavy and his vision started to tunnel. 

“ _Sonofabitch_.”

His last thought before he lost consciousness was that the old adage was true. No good deed went unpunished. 

~~~

Jason awoke to a dull headache, a bad taste in his mouth, and the feeling of his hands and feet bound. When he shifted, so did the binds. It almost felt like snakes were winding their way up his calves and forearms. 

No, not snakes; vines. He signed and in doing so, caught the fragrance of a full botanical garden. That confirmed his suspicions. He was being held prisoner by Poison Ivy. 

He just wasn’t sure why. As far as he knew, Wayne Enterprises hadn’t endangered any plants lately. In fact, they’d been building up conservations and coming up with renewable energy options to help save the planet. Tim spent the better part of a week (unlike with his research for Jason, he stopped to sleep, eat, and go about his other daily and nightly activities during that time, at least) pouring over the details of his latest green venture. It had been a big movement. One Dr Isley should have appreciated. 

He also didn’t think that she had any idea who he really was. So there was no reason to assume this had anything to do with the Bat Family. 

Then he caught voices, two of them, arguing, further into the dense, jungle-like room. He recognized them right away. Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. 

Unlike Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn did know who he was. Jason decided to listen before making it known he was conscious. He wanted to find out if Harley had kept his family secret as she’d sworn to. If she hadn’t, she was going to face the full wrath of the Red Hood.

Once he escaped from the damn plant that he was entangled with.

“Ya don’t think its a li’l suspicious?” Harley sounded like she knew full well that the other woman did. She just wanted her to have to acknowledge the point. “Not ta mention unethical. Wayne hasn’t done anything wrong; his mini-me’s even been workin’ toward gettin’ Gotham ta go green. This really ain’t up ta your usual standards.”

“Relax, Harley. I’m not going to hand him over.” Ivy sounded calm and slightly amused. “I’m not a tool to be used at the whim of men. Especially hypocritical businessmen who think they own the world. Whatever petty gripe he has with Wayne, it doesn’t concern me.”

At least that confirmed one thing for Jason; this was about him being a Wayne, not a vigilante.

“So why snatch his son?” Harley’s curiosity was tinged with excitement. Clearly, her friend had a plan and she was eager to hear it. 

Ivy didn’t draw it out or make a show of her explanation. That was one of the things Jason had always appreciated about the villain. Ivy might get a little preachy at times, but she didn’t need to stroke her ego every time she did something. She also usually had a practical, however misguided, reason for everything she did. She was never motivated by simple greed and she didn’t cause suffering for the joy of it. She was usually trying to save the rain forest or an endangered cactus or something among those lines.

As far as the usual Rogues went, Poison Ivy was pretty low on Jason’s shit list. Her explanation for Jason’s current predicament meant that wouldn’t likely be changing any time soon. 

“His ransom scheme, inelegant though it might be, gave me an idea. Lee Inc has acquired some land that contains a very rare species of flower, but they bought off the impact inspector so it wasn’t reported. They intend to destroy the flowers and put up some horrible warehouses to store their disgusting chemicals. If I can raise the funds, I can see they’re slapped with an ordinance that will ensure a _real_ impact inspection takes place. That will kill the deal and save those poor plants.”

It figured. Jason had been publicly a Wayne again for a matter of weeks and he’d been kidnapped in order to save _plants_. He signed. He wondered how often his siblings had to put up with this sort of situation while he’d been gone. 

Then, he called out. “Or you could let me call my little brother who _runs Wayne Enterprises_ and who’s all about preservation and fighting climate change. He can just buy out Lee Inc, since this build is part of a new venture that’s their last ditch effort to stay in business. That’ll put a stop to the whole thing almost instantly and I can be home in time for dinner. Our butler worries when I’m late.”

He might not like the celebrity side of it, but being a legal Wayne did have its advantages. 

Ivy and Harley approached him. The former looked interested but less than trusting. The latter offered him an enthusiastic wave. “Hey, you’re awake!”

Ivy was less enthusiastic in her greeting. “Its an intriguing offer, but what guarantee do I have that this would be accomplished?” 

Jason had expected that she’d want some sort of insurance. Crazy as she was, Ivy wasn’t stupid. Neither of the women before him were and they both were capable of holding a very serious grudge. Fortunately, despite the situation suggesting otherwise, Jason actually hadn’t been lying and it would be easy enough to prove it.

He explained plainly. “Just look up Timothy Wayne or Drake-Wayne. Then look up Lee Inc. Its not like I’m going anywhere in the meantime. Once you see those parts of what I said are true, let me get my phone out and I can make the call from here. I don’t even have to mention the kidnapping part. Once Timbers hears about Lee Inc’s dirty business, he’ll be all over it.”

Something was wrong. Rather than look intrigued or suspicious, Ivy looked irritated, like she realized she’d made some sort of critical error. She shared a glance with Harley, who looked slightly disturbed.

“Uh, there’s just one problem with that plan, honey.” Harley offered Jason an apologetic grimace. “Ya see, Ivy wasn’t the only one hired for this ransom scheme. Your li’l brother was nabbed by someone else.” 

“What?” Jason forgot the rich captive persona. He fixed the Rogues with a glare that caused both of their spines to straighten like prey that only just realized a predator was among them. “Who has him? When did they take him?”

Ivy looked Jason over curiously. She glanced at Harley and then did a double take at her friend’s expression. The other woman looked like she’d seen a ghost. “Harley, what’s the matter?”

“Could ya do me a big favor, Ives? Like _huge_?” Harley nodded toward Jason. Her next words surprised him. He felt his glare intensify. “Wayne and I sorta have a history… Do ya think I could have a minute alone with him?”

Ivy took another look at Jason, as though she were sizing up her friend’s date. He offered a shrug, since he honestly had no idea what the other woman wanted, and she turned to Harley calmly. “Alright, but I’m not releasing him just yet. He’s too valuable.”

“No problem. Thanks, Baby!” Harley gave the other woman a quick kiss that made Jason add a question mark to the word ‘friend’ that linked the two Rogues in his mental database. That looked like something else. 

In all honestly, he thought Ivy was a huge trade-up from the Joker. Of course, he would have thought anything right down to a literal pile of crap would be a trade-up from the Joker. He didn’t say anything about it either way. He had more important things to focus on at the moment. Like the fact that his little brother had apparently been kidnapped as well.

Harley waited a moment after Ivy had left their view before speaking to Jason, clearly giving her a moment to get out of earshot. “Look honey, we both know I know who ya are an’ all. We both know I’m tryin’ ta do some good now...and that I kinda owe your family.” 

Jason remembered. He still wasn’t pleased about the fact that she knew who he and his family were. Harley might be trying to turn over a new leaf, to aim her crazy plots toward causes that were worth serving, even if she still went about serving them wrong most of the time. She might be aligning herself with a better class of villain and avoiding anything that reminded her of the Joker as if it carried some sort of plague these days. She still fell into the villain category to him and it was going to take a lot of effort on her part to change that any time soon.

He decided that didn’t matter much at present. What mattered was that he might have found his quickest way out of Ivy’s lair and toward helping Tim. Before he could respond, she continued onto another point that definitely made Jason want to get to his brother.

Harley’s expression turned distasteful. “Plus, I don’t like the guy he hired ta grab your li’l brother. Reads like a total pervert. I mean, dressin’ kids up to play tea party with him? Even _I_ find that creepy an’ disturbin’.”

The Mad Hatter had Tim. If this little chat didn’t lead to Jason getting out soon then he was going to burn the place to the ground on his way out. 

Fortunately, Harley seemed to remember that time was a factor at that point. “I’m gonna talk Ivy inta lettin’ ya go and ya can send the Bats or one of his birds after the kid, right?”

“Right.” Jason confirmed. Despite what he’d told Bruce earlier, he could play nice when it was important. He needed to get out of there as soon as possible and he also appreciated that Harley was taking care not to give away his identity throughout the conversation. “Do you know where this creep took Tim?”

“His lair’s in the sewers.” Her nose crinkled. She gave a small head shake. “As if he wasn’t disgustin’ enough already, right? Anyway, I’ll draw ya a map ta give Bats.”

With that, she left. Jason debated whether to give her a chance or just try to use the knife he had hidden in his boot to cut his way out of his bindings. Sure, the plant would probably have some way of informing Ivy he’d cut himself free of it, but Jason could handle the ensuing situation. 

Before he made up his mind, Harley and Ivy returned. He hadn’t expected them to reach an agreement so quickly. 

Harley spoke calmly while Ivy looked at him with mild curiosity, as if he were a new plant specimen that had looked ordinary at first, but turned out to have hidden properties worth exploring. “We got an offer, Mistah Wayne. We’ll let ya go and tell ya where ta find your li’l brother, but ya gotta promise that once the kid’s safe, the two of you will handle the Lee Inc problem, _pronto_. Deal?”

Jason didn’t hesitate. He’d worked with dirtier criminals for less important causes. “Deal.”

Harley’s map was not what Jason had become accustomed to. It appeared to be drawn with crayons and had rather _interesting_ labels for locations. However, it was also clear and precise. 

As soon as Jason was on the streets, he called Dick. 

It went straight to voicemail, which normally wouldn’t have worried Jason as much as it did right then. If someone had hired Rogues to kidnap both him and Tim, it could very well be that they hired some to go after his other siblings too, possibly the whole Wayne family. He was still rushing to get his gear and rescue Tim when he called Alfred. The man answered right away.

Alfred’s voice contained that forced calm he gained whenever he was worried for someone in the family but didn’t want to upset the others. Jason had never recognized it as such as a kid, but he recognized it now. “Master Jason, are you alright?”

“I was just kidnapped.”

Straight away, the man was on top of the situation. “I can’t get any readings from your suit, are you-”

“I’m not wearing it yet. Sorry Alfred, but I don’t have time for a full explanation. I’m fine, but Tim isn’t. I’m going after him right now. You and B need to check on Dick, Cass, and Damian. Apparently someone’s coming after us to get to Bruce Wayne.”

“We are aware, Master Jason. I was, in fact, just about to call you. We had hoped you were spared as Master Bruce was speaking to you at the time the other kidnappings occurred. Are you certain you are well enough to engage in further heroics tonight? Miss Kane is available to go after Master Tim.”

It was good to know his family was already on the case. Jason also couldn’t help but feel a little pleased to know he’d been a concern. Mostly, he just felt a sense of urgency.

“I’m fine, Alfred. Its a crazy story but I’ll tell you later.”

“Very well, Master Jason. Is there anything I can do to assist you?”

“I got it covered.” Jason realized the older man might have information that could help him. “What do you know about what we’re up against? Who else has been taken?”

“Miss Cassandra called after thwarting an attempted kidnapping against her. Lucius called shortly after, to inform us that Master Timothy had been taken. It seems two large men dressed for high tea and wearing disturbingly realistic hare and mouse masks interrupted a working lunch at Wayne Enterprises. They demanded that Master Timothy leave with them and threatened to harm the other employees present if he refused. 

“Naturally, Master Timothy agreed to go with them.” Alfred’s voice took on a displeased tone. Jason knew him well enough to know the next fact had made the normally unflappable man very angry. “They violently rendered him unconscious before taking him. A third masked man was waiting with a car.”

There was no need for these men to hurt Tim if he’d agreed to go with them. Jason was definitely going to hurt any henchmen he found along the way to the Mad Hatter. He’d do more if Tim was injured any further. “I know where he is. Don’t worry, Alfie, I’ll get him back.”

“I don’t doubt it.” That wasn’t Alfred’s usual sass. The tone of confidence made Jason feel better about the whole thing. “Miss Cassandra is presently on her way to rescue Master Dick. He set off his emergency beacon just as she was calling. 

“Master Bruce is on his way to retrieve Master Damian. He was visiting with Young Master Kent and was meant to wait until his father picked him up to come home. I pray he managed to stay out of trouble for once.” Alfred’s tone suggested he knew what a toss up that was, so Jason stifled the scoff that threated to escape at the words.

“I will be here. If there is any way I can be of service, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“I know, but thanks, Alfie.” Jason never doubted that Alfred was there for him, if he needed. He was never sure how to best express how much that meant to him to the man himself. He didn’t have time to try at present. “I need to move now. I’ll check back in after I get Tim.”

“I would appreciate that. Be careful, Master Jason.” The warning didn’t sound as out of place when Alfred said it. 

Jason made quick work of throwing on his gear and guns. Then he wasted no time getting down into the sewers. He didn’t slow down until he’d nearly reached the location that Harley marked on his map with a big top hat and the words ‘ _muy loco_ ’. He was in the old sewer treatment facility. There were several rooms that used to be offices or the like, Jason didn’t care much what they used to be. He was more concerned with what they were being used for at present. 

He slowed when he heard voices ahead. He always found it wise to listen to henchmen talking amongst themselves whenever possible. He never knew when he was going to learn something useful. With any luck, they might tell him exactly where his little brother was being held. 

“Are you sure we shouldn't check? That sounded like the kid might’ve been putting up a fight.” Henchmen number one was one of the guys Lucius had described. He was wearing a waistcoat, top hat, and the previously described mouse mask. 

“The boss said not to bother him, so we’re not gonna bother him. ‘Sides, the kid didn’t look like much of a threat. Even if he put up a fight, I doubt he did much harm. Probably just make things more interesting.” Henchman Number Two was wearing a coat with tails and the hare mask. He was also carrying a cane with a brass handle. 

It wasn’t the creepiest thing Jason had seen by a long shot, but he could see someone else finding it unnerving.

Henchman Number Three was dressed much like the others and wearing a disturbing white rabbit mask. “This isn’t what he was hired for-”

Jason rolled his eyes as Henchman Number Two interrupted. He was pressed for time and had been hoping to hear something more about whoever hired the Rogues to kidnap his siblings and himself. 

“Doesn’t matter. We work for the _Hatter_ , not whoever wanted the Wayne kid. Whatever he does with the kid, that’s none of our concern. Probably be doing the kid a favor by putting him out of his misery anyway.”

“What makes you say that?” Henchman Number Three asked.

Jason was wondering the same thing. 

“Come on, a sixteen year old CEO? Working lunches? With _salads_? He’s in no classes or clubs. Never any photos in the news of him out having fun. Sounds like the kid spends every waking hour trying to make Daddy Warbucks proud.” 

Henchman Number Three nodded as if his cohort made a good point. “Probably the reason Wayne adopted him to begin with. Why pay out over years for a CEO who might outshine you or forget who’s in charge, when you can just adopt and train a little catamite to do it all for free? _And_ feel privileged for being allowed to instead of overworked or unappreciated? Plus, anything the kid does right just makes Wayne look better.”

Jason found himself feeling angry on both his little brother’s and his father’s behalf. Although it did make more sense of how certain rumors developed. Apparently all it took was a couple idiots who spoke as if they knew what they were talking about to convince some more idiots and then build on that. If these guys had been working in an office or restaurant instead of henchmen in the sewers, he could easily see their words spreading and eventually reaching the tabloids. In the back of his mind, he thought that maybe his father had a point earlier. 

“The kid’s pretty easy on the eyes, too.” Henchman Number One’s tone when he made that comment made Jason actually able to _feel_ his blood pressure rise 

“Makes a good stand-in face for Wayne’s ‘city savior’ image.” Henchman Number Three agreed, as if that had been where his cohort was going with the statement. “Especially since the kid’s obsessed with underprivileged youth and all that green crap lately.”

Jason had heard enough. It was one thing for _him_ to tease Tim for his lack of a social life, boy-scout integrity, or perfectionist ways. As he’d told Bruce earlier, brothers did that. It was an entirely different beast altogether for some henchmen to talk about his little brother the way these men were. He holstered one of his guns and loaded the other with the taser adaption he used when he might need someone alive or just wanted to keep it down. 

“Or maybe the kid _earned_ his place, jackass.” 

As the men startled at his voice, Jason shot two of them with his taser darts. Then he dodged the cane from Henchman Number Two, punched the man hard enough to feel his jaw snap under his fist, and shot him full of electricity as well. It was overkill, but it made him feel a little bit better. He stepped over their twitching, unconscious bodies (if he ‘accidentally’ kicked Henchman Number One along the way, who could blame him?) and continued on. He’d wasted enough time with them. 

He needed to find Tim. 

He was especially concerned when he got close enough to the closed offices to catch a familiar scent. It was too repugnant to be fresh. Jason never thought he’d be pleased to smell a rotting corpse, but he was just glad it was too long gone to be Tim. He followed the scent first. It grew stronger as he approached a door that was slightly ajar. 

He kicked it open, guns raised, and stopped just as the coat rack that had been rushing toward his head also stopped. He and Tim stared at each other for a brief second before Tim lowered the makeshift weapon and Jason lowered his guns. 

“Tim, you ok-kaayy…what the hell are you wearing?”

Tim had been dressed for work when he was taken; nothing indiscreet, just a soft button down and gray slacks. He certainly hadn’t been wearing a periwinkle dress with a white pinafore and tights, as he was now. His hair was held out of his eyes by a velvet ribbon tied in a bow and on his feet were matching Mary-Janes. 

Further inspection showed that Tim’s wrists were bruised and scraped; not broken or anything as serious as that, but he’d definitely strained them against some sort of binding. There was also a notable bruise across his left temple, visible even through the makeup he wore to hide his bleached skin. It looked as if he’d been struck by something curved and heavy, like the brass handle of a cane. Jason was glad he’d already broken Henchman Number Two’s jaw.

Rather than answer, or perhaps as a means to do so, Tim pointed further into the room, his expression dire. Following his brother’s gaze, Jason found both the source of the smell as well as his little brother’s strange clothes. 

In one corner, there was a sewing machine along with a seamstress’ dummy and several spools of fabric. On the wall in front of the machine was a list with measurements. There were a few crossed out before the last, which Jason recognized as Tim’s from when they’d last upgraded his suit. 

In the other corner, like a pair of discarded dolls, were the bodies of two young girls. They were each dressed as Lewis Carroll’s Alice, the same as Tim. 

“How long has he been out?” Tim’s voice was tight and his expression showed disgust and sorrow. 

Jason shook his head. They hadn’t even heard of a breakout yet, nothing about a successful treatment or Arkham’s version of parole for good behavior. It wasn’t unheard of for the authorities to try to keep releases quiet, but it rarely took long for news to spread anyway. That meant it couldn’t have been long. A matter of days at the most. 

Jason felt the same as his brother. “Too long.” 

He looked Tim over again. He was shaking slightly, either from shock, anger, fear, or just because it was cold and damp in the sewers. Jason slipped off his jacket and draped it over his brother’s shoulders. His little brother actually _felt_ cold. He pulled the jacket around him. It was the only thing he could think of to help in the moment, regardless of the source of the cold and the trembling. 

And regardless of the source, Jason had the same person to blame. The same person who had kidnapped and murdered the girls in the corner. The same person who had kidnapped his little brother and dressed him up to do who-knew-what. “Where is he?”

“Two doors South. I knocked him out. Sleeper hold. He should be coming to soon. He’s tied up. Unless his henchmen free him, he isn’t going anywhere.” 

The slightly odd cadence of speech meant that Tim was in detective mode. His mind was definitely dealing with something else while he explained. Probably working out how the Mad Hatter had escaped or perhaps how he’d killed the children in the corner.

Either way, it was time to get him out of there. If the Mad Hatter was already knocked out, then Tim didn’t need to be thinking about it. “Come on.” Jason motioned Tim out and closed the door behind them. They’d send GCPD to arrest the Rogue and gather the girls’ remains after they got out. 

But first, he wasn’t letting the Mad Hatter off so easily. 

He turned to Tim. He knew the boy wouldn’t approve of what he was going to do. He also knew he wasn’t going to do it in front of his little brother. “I knocked out three henchmen over there. Any more around?”

“I’ve only seen the White Rabbit, the March Hare, and the Dormouse.” That meant there wasn’t any evidence to suggest any others, but Tim wasn’t willing to bet his brother’s safety on it. 

Jason nodded. It was more than good enough. He handed the taser equipped firearm to his little brother. “Wait here. Keep an eye on them.”

Tim didn’t argue. He pulled the over-sized jacket on better and looked over at the unconscious henchmen without actually approaching them. He seemed to be working out what had happened in his head. Jason wasn’t sure if that was a coping mechanism or if his little brother just couldn’t help but think as a detective even under the circumstances.

Jason waited a moment to make sure Tim seemed okay -or as okay as he could be- then he drew his other gun and entered the room indicated. He found what had likely been a whimsical tea party scene before a fight had clearly broken out in the room. Steam was still drifting from several tea pots and cups in the inexplicably cold room. If he had only just escaped, then it made sense that Tim was still chilled and shaking. With a jolt of disgust, Jason realized the room was being actively cooled to make the hot tea more appealing to the Mad Hatter’s ‘guests’.

Beyond that, some of the fine china was broken; a sandwich tray and a few chairs were knocked over. One chair had old fashioned leather shackles attached to it. Sticking out of one of the locks was half a sandwich pick. The other half and another pick were on the ground by it and Jason knew he’d found the means of Tim’s escape. 

On the ground was Jervis Tetch, aka the Mad Hatter. There were no injuries on him that Jason could see, but his hat was knocked off and his hands were tied behind his back. He was attempting to work his way out of his makeshift bonds, which appeared to be fancy curtain ties 

The Mad Hatter blinked and frowned at the Red Hood when he leaned down and deftly pulled the bonds loose. Tetch rubbed his wrists and looked Jason over with a frown as he stood. “Who’re you? Its very rude to come to a party uninvited, you know!”

“I decided to crash it anyway.” Jason stepped back and tilted his head toward the minor wreckage behind him. Knowing Tim, the boy hadn’t let his captor see that it was he who knocked him out. “Made a bit of a mess.”

Sure enough, that didn’t seem to strike the Mad Hatter as odd or incorrect. He simply looked angered as he stepped back and took stock of his tea table. “My tea tray! You’ve wrecked it!” He eyes darted around. “And what have you done with my dear Alice?”

“He’s not yours. None of them were.” Jason really wanted to end the man there and then. 

However, he knew Tim was outside, close enough to hear the shot. He knew that not stopping him from entering the room was a far cry Tim approving of him killing the Rogue. Despite his aptitude for thinking three steps ahead, Tim probably hadn’t truly considered how far Jason might go. Checking that the Hatter was contained was smart and there was a lot to tell Gordon once they got out of there. Add to that the trauma he’d encountered and that Tim’s mind had been otherwise occupied and it was more than fair to let Tim off the hook.

That wouldn’t stop him from blaming himself later. Tim also had a tendency to dwell on past mistakes. Jason didn’t want that. 

He also didn’t want to let the Mad Hatter walk away to potentially escape or get off on good behavior or a ‘successful’ treatment and do the same thing all over again. Even if they managed to keep him in Arkham this time, he didn’t want the Rogue to just be put back as if nothing had happened when he’d killed two children and kidnapped a third. He didn’t want him to get a slap on the wrist for what he’d put Tim through. Those girls and his little brother deserved justice. 

Jason raised his gun, prepared when the man launched at him. He dodged the tackle and kicked the man’s legs out from under him before he could try to make a break for it, as was his usual MO. As soon as the Mad Hatter hit the floor, Jason took aim and fired. 

The Mad Hatter’s scream was more of a gurgle that cut off with a wheeze as the bullet penetrated his spine. He continued trying to scream and failing to produce anything other than wet, wheezy gasps. He started crying as his bladder and bowels relieved themselves without his bidding. As Jason turned to leave the room, he managed to wheeze out something that sounded somewhat like “Can’t...move...” as if that hadn’t been the point of the shot. 

Jason almost walked into Tim. His little brother had obviously started rushing to the room at the sound of the shot and then stopped at the sound of his former captor’s gasps. 

Icy blue eyes scanned Jason for any sign of injury. “Are you okay?” Tim looked relieved when he didn’t find anything wrong and when Jason assured him he was fine. “What happened?”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re okay and he isn’t gonna hurt anyone else now.” Jason put a hand against Tim’s back and felt a surge of relief when the boy didn’t push it away and demand answers. Jason glanced at the henchmen. Tim had used some of the fabric from the other room to tie them up. 

They were done there. Jason started guiding Tim back the way he’d come. His little brother allowed it without protest. “Let’s get out of here. Alfred and Lucius are waiting to hear you’re okay.”

They had to go to the police. Not only because of the bodies and critically wounded Arkham escapee, but also because Tim’s kidnapping had been public and the police would be looking for him. 

Tim insisted on giving Jason his jacket back before they reached the rooftop of the GCPD. He didn’t want to chance any officers grabbing it in the midst of everything and trying to find evidence of Red Hood’s identity. It made Jason feel better about how Tim was faring because it was normal behavior for him to think of such things. 

The first officers to find them weren’t happy about seeing the notorious Red Hood on their roof. All guns were lowered quickly when Tim rushed into the officers’ line of fire to protect his brother, insisting that Red Hood had rescued him from the Mad Hatter. Fortunately, Gordon arrived then and ordered the officers to stand down before getting to the task of finding out if Tim was alright. 

Once that was established, Jason told Gordon where he could find the missing girls and Jarvis Tetch. “Your guys better hurry if you want him alive, but I wouldn’t blame you if you took your time.”

Gordon thanked Red Hood and suggested he get out of there before he changed his mind about arresting him. 

Jason gestured toward Tim. “Just make sure the kid’s okay. And keep the press from seeing him like this. He’s had a bad enough day as it is.”

With Gordon’s assurance, Jason turned to leave. 

“Thank you.” Tim spoke up before he could fire his grappling gun. Gordon’s own coat was hanging off the teenager when Jason turned to look at him. “For saving me.”

“Sure thing, kid.” Jason fired a grappling and got out of there with a grin on his face. That was his little brother; always thinking ahead. 

They both knew the next time Gordon encountered Red Hood, regardless of the fact that he was a known criminal, he wouldn’t be able to help but think of that exchange now. He’d hear the words of a frightened boy, thanking his rescuer. He’d offer him the same wary consideration he’d given Batman at the start. Eventually, he’d see Red Hood for what he was; a regretful but necessary figure in the fight to protect the people of Gotham. 

The feelings of relief, of pride and happiness, didn’t last long. After all, he still had two siblings who were unaccounted for. “Hey, Alfred, Tim’s okay. I just left him with Gordon.”

“Good work, Master Jason. I’m happy to hear it.” Alfred sounded relived and grateful. He answered the question Jason was about to ask without him needing to say a word. “Master Dick and Master Damian are both safe and uninjured.”

Jason felt as relieved as Alfred sounded.

“Conner and Jon Kent brought Master Damian back after preventing his kidnapping. Miss Cassandra successfully rescued Master Dick and they are on their way here now. I’ll inform Master Bruce that he needs to make an appearance at the GCPD to pick up Master Tim. Are you in need of a ride or any assistance, Master Jason?”

“No, I’m good. I’m going to change and then bring some clothes to the station for Tim. Thank you, Alfie. I’ll see you soon.”

“I’ll be waiting for you at the station, Master Jason.”

Jason headed home to change. He grabbed a change of clothes for his brother while he was at it. A quick check confirmed that the kidnapping and subsequent return of the second youngest Wayne had already made the news. No one would question how Jason had known to go, so he quickly headed to GCPD.

Bruce was already there. He greeted Jason as if he’d been expecting him. Then he let him know that Tim was alright, making sure to fill him in on anything they might later have to explain his knowledge of. Finally, he asked if Jason would bring Tim the clothes and check on him while Bruce finished up with the detectives. They were currently trying to figure out why his children had been targeted and by whom. 

An officer carrying some evidence bags led Jason to an almost-empty office he’d apparently just exited. As soon as Jason stepped in, he saw Tim, wearing an over-sized jump suit but otherwise looking much more himself than he had in the sewers. His wrists had been bandaged and he was and holding an ice pack over the bruise on his head. His little brother immediately looked relieved at the sight of him. Then, he surprised Jason by dropping the ice pack, swiftly crossing the room, and hugging him.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Tim spoke against Jason’s chest. It was pretty cool in the police department, but Tim felt the correct temperature and he wasn’t trembling anymore. Jason was glad it had only been the cold room before. “They said it looked like whoever was behind my kidnapping had arranged for each of us to be taken.”

Jason had returned the embrace on instinct, worried, but it made perfect sense when he heard his brother speak. His little bother wasn’t in dire need of comfort as he’d feared, Tim simply needed to inform him that the GCPD might be looking into his kidnapping as well. Considering that the bank had surveillance cameras in the garage, it was possible they could find out about him being poisoned and taken. With an officer present, disguising the heads up as concern made the most sense.

“Well, some Poison Ivy wannabe drugged me, but she let me go under the condition that you stop Lee Inc from destroying some endangered flowers.” When that response was met by a look of confusion from Tim, who’d released him and taken a step away, Jason shrugged. “I’ll explain later. I’m just glad you’re okay.” He brushed Tim’s hair out of his face and inspected the bruise with a small sympathetic hiss. “Well, _mostly_ okay.”

“We’re going to need a statement about that incident, Mr Todd-Wayne.” The officer looked surprised at Jason’s calm explanation. Then he seemed to consider who he was walking to; a young man who had been kidnapped and mistakingly declared dead in the past and who presently just got his little brother back from a kidnapping. The reaction probably didn’t seem as strange then. He cleared his throat, clearly nervous that he was being insensitive. “If you’re up to it, of course.”

The officer glanced down at the evidence bags in his hand, which most likely contained the clothes Tim had been wearing. He looked Jason over. Then he pointed at his clothes. “Is that what you were wearing during the kidnapping?” 

“Sorry, no. I talked to our dad’s butler and was informed about what was going on with Tim. I stopped home to change and grab some clothes for him.” Jason held up the clothes and offered them to his little brother. “Thought you might want to change into something more comfortable.”

“Thank you, Jason.” Tim set the clothes on the desk and looked at his brother again, still looking pleased just to see him. “I appreciate you coming for me.”

Jason offered his little brother what he hoped looked like a comforting smile. It occurred to him that for a while there, Tim wouldn’t have expected anyone to come after him so quickly. The same had been true for Jason. It wasn’t anymore. “Any time, Timbers.” 

The officer interrupted once more. “I’m sorry again, Mr Todd-Wayne, but we’re going to need the clothes you were wearing during the attack. I’m going to send someone here in just a moment to see if we can still get a sample of the poison from you. Was it injected or administered orally? Do you know?”

“Uh, I think it was in her lip gloss.” Jason shrugged at the officer and shook his head, as if he were a little confused. “Its kinda hazy, to be honest. But my lips started tingling after she kissed me and then everything just went downhill from there. The clothes are on my bedroom floor back at our apartment. Could an officer just follow us home and bring them back?”

He placed a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “I really don’t want to leave my little brother alone after what he’s been through.”

“Of course. Thank you for your operation.” The offer nodded. “We’ll probably need a swab of your lips then and a blood sample.”

“That’s fine, but can you hurry?” He motioned toward Tim. “I want to get him home. Our family’s been worried sick.”

The man looked sympathetic. “I understand. I’ll bring someone right away.”

Jason waited until the officer left the room to turn to Tim again. “Bruce let you know everyone else is okay?”

“Yeah.” Tim looked relieved. He glanced at the clothes his big brother had brought him and then nodded toward the door. “Jay, could you-?”

“Sure.” Jason reached behind him to grab the doorknob. “Just knock when you’re-”

“No. You can stay.” Something about the way Tim jumped in with that rooted Jason to the spot. His little brother indicated the door again. “Its just, the blinds on the window don’t close all the way. I don’t want anyone to see.”

Jason turned and inspected the door. Sure enough, said blinds were dented and that left large gaps someone could easily see though while passing by. Unless a large man such as Jason stood in front of it. “Oh. No problem.” He moved to block it.

“Thanks.” Tim started changing into his clothes, unconcerned now that he knew no GCPD employees might be able to take note of any of his scars or unusually pale skin. “And thanks for bringing me some clothes. I felt like a twelve-year-old in that jumpsuit.”

“Figured you’d need ‘em.” Jason shrugged and held back a grin. Tim actually _had_ looked like a twelve-year-old in the jumpsuit. In fact, he’d looked kind of cute with the sleeves rolled up to fit him. Jason decided against voicing that thought since his little brother had suffered enough humiliation for one day. 

He listened to make sure no one was near the door to hear him. “I know I wouldn’t want to hang around in a jumpsuit or a dress. Speaking of which, they took that as evidence, right?”

“Yeah. Gordon stood outside with his back to the door while I changed.” Tim wore a tiny smile when he saw that Jason had brought his Superboy t-shirt. He’d done it on purpose, he knew it was Tim’s favorite and that it made him feel comforted by reminding him of his best friend. He’d also brought a hoodie with long enough sleeves to cover Tim’s wrists.

Jason took note of a minor burn, likely from hot tea, and few more bruises on Tim’s limbs, while his brother changed. There were a few darker bruises over his ribs, as if the Mad Hatter had gotten in a few jabs while Tim had him in the sleeper hold. There were also some dark stripes forming across his back, as if he'd been slammed into something as well. None were as bad as the injuries he’d previously noted in the sewers. “Did you show them your wrists and face?” He understood the need to keep the rest secret, but those had been readily visible before and would help the case against the Mad Hatter and his henchmen. 

“Yeah. Let them take nail scrapings, too. The report should give a good idea of what he’d done.” Tim dropped his voice to ensure they weren’t overheard. “Between that and what else was down there, they should have a pretty open and shut case.”

Jason nodded. “Let’s hope they manage to keep the asshole in Arkham this time.”

It belatedly occurred to Jason that the Mad Hatter didn’t have any hope of escaping anymore. Not after what he had done to Rogue in the sewers. It made him feel a little relief, but he didn’t correct the statement. Neither did Tim, even though he must have figured out what his big brother had done already. 

Tim folded the jumpsuit neatly and left it on the desk. Then he turned to Jason. “Can we leave after they take those samples from you?”

“Do you think they could actually stop us?” After the words left his mouth, Jason realized that might not be the most appropriate response when standing in a police station as an upstanding citizen of Gotham. Fortunately, no one else was around and Tim seemed to find it amusing. 

Jason motioned to the door. He could hear someone approaching. “If you already finished your report, then there’s no reason to stay. B can handle whatever else they need.”

A knock sounded at the door. Jason opened it to find the officer from before along with a CSI. He allowed her to take a small blood sample and to swab his lips while he gave his statement to the officer. Then he thanked them both and commented that he hoped it helped catch his kidnapper. He doubted they would actually find anything, since he left out Harley and Ivy and made it sound like some fangirls attempting to impress Poison Ivy had been behind the whole ordeal. 

It wasn’t that he planned to protect the Rogues on any long term basis. Jason just didn’t want to rat them out right after they’d helped him get to his little brother quicker than he would have on his own. He also didn’t think it would be wise to antagonize them right after Ivy became suspicious of her (possibly) girlfriend’s connection to Jason Todd-Wayne.

He and Tim followed the officer and the CSI into the hall after the cop tried -for what was apparently the third time- to get Tim to consider going to the hospital. “The EMT who looked at you here said you have a concussion. You were unconscious for a long time. It could be serious, and you could have other injuries you aren’t aware of yet. Sometimes it takes a while for you to feel these things after a big shock.”

“Thank you but I really want to just go home after all this. If anything starts troubling me later, I’ll see my personal physician.” Tim’s tone was polite, but firm enough to suggest he wouldn’t be swayed. It was also just shaky enough to keep up appearances. 

With all of that settled, they were ready to go. When they turned into the main office, Jason caught Bruce’s eye and motioned that he was taking Tim and leaving. Their father politely stopped Gordon and the detective who was speaking to them and immediately moved to meet his sons. 

“Alfred is waiting for you out back. Detective Montoya will escort you out and follow you to your apartment for some clothes?” He waited until Jason nodded and then continued. “The press is up front. I’m going to make a statement once I’ve finished here and then meet you back at the Manor. 

“I’ll explain everything to you back home, later. They still don’t have the man behind all of this in custody. Until they do, I’ll arrange for some extra security at Wayne Enterprises and at the front gates of the Manor. Think about letting me put some at your building. The police are going to have a squad car drive by each of our residences every hour.” 

Bruce squeezed Jason’s shoulder and looked from him to Tim and back again. “I’m glad you’re both alright. Stay together until I get back.” 

Jason and Tim both agreed. They understood that these were the kinds of moments when it was extra tricky to keep their secret identities. They couldn’t appear to know too much. They couldn’t appear not to take the threat as seriously as any other family in their position would. They couldn’t appear to be able to handle themselves too well.

A little later, Jason repeated his earlier story as Detective Montoya retrieved his clothes. He felt a little bad for lying when she thanked him for his cooperation, but not badly enough to risk the odd truce he seemed to have struck with Ivy and Harley. 

Tim had asked Jason to tell him what had really happened with his kidnapping on the ride to their apartment. He told Tim and Alfred the truth. Neither spoke against his decision to make a deal with the Rogues or to leave them out of his police report. They both only stated that they were glad he hadn’t been injured or contained for very long. 

He’d also filled Tim in on the Lee Inc part of the deal on the way over, and his little brother had already started making calls to ensure that a real impact inspection took place. On the way to the Manor, Tim made more calls that ensured that Wayne Enterprises was ready to make an offer once Lee Inc realized they were finished. The offer was fair enough that the Lee family wouldn’t be too embarrassed, and even though Tim intended to kill the company after purchase, he would transfer their employees to Wayne Enterprises first, so no one would end up destitute over the buyout. 

After that, they were close enough to the Manor that Jason decided to hold off on asking Tim for specifics on his kidnapping until they got home. He knew his little brother would be uncomfortable explaining how he ended up dressed as Alice in Wonderland in front of their family and friends. 

At the Manor, they found Dick, Cassandra, Damian, Conner, and Jon in the sitting room.

Conner Kent had clearly been pacing by the window before they entered the room. He approached Tim right away when he and Jason entered. He wore a small glare at the sight of his friend’s bruised face. “You have a concussion. Is that a hairline fracture?” 

Jason found himself feeling glad that Bizarro never used his x-ray vision on him. 

Tim didn’t seem to mind though. “Yeah, that’s from when the henchman knocked me out. Nothing I could do about it as a civilian. Its okay though. Tetch wasn’t expecting a fight and Jason got there before the henchmen could figure out anything was up.” 

Jason motioned toward one of the sofas. Tim ended up sitting between him and Conner when they all settled onto it. 

Dick was sitting in the center of the sofa across from them. A telltale bruise and puncture mark on his neck proved that whoever had gone after the eldest Wayne child had used a tranquilizer dart. Aside from that, Dick looked well. Although he was holding onto Damian as if their youngest brother was a big, grumpy teddy bear. 

A very shallow cut on the side of Damian’s neck had been treated and suggested he’d recently been held at knife point. Obviously the situation had been taken care of quickly and likely in a manner that had caught his captor off guard. The especially sour look on the boy’s face proved that Damian had in fact been rescued by one of the Kents. He was likely angry that he hadn’t been given the opportunity to save himself. The fact that he still wasn’t pushing Dick away or threatening him with bodily harm said he’d been worried about his eldest brother too, even if he’d never admit to it. 

Sitting on the arm of the sofa beside Damian was Jon Kent. “I’m glad you guys are all okay.”

Jason and Tim both nodded in response. 

On Dick’s other side was Cassandra. She had an arm linked with Dick’s but otherwise was sitting calmly. She smiled at Jason and Tim. “I’m glad you’re both okay too.”

“Same for you guys.” Tim offered their sister an approximation of a smile. Jason guessed it was the best he could muster at present. He looked her over with concern. “Were you hurt at all?”

Cassandra shook her head. “They hired Philo Zeiss to find me, since I’m known to travel so much. He’s not bad, but...” She shrugged. Clearly he hadn’t been much of a challenge for her. 

Dick scratched at the puncture mark on his neck until Damian slapped his hand, demanding he stop before he caused the wound to scar. He smiled at his youngest sibling before explaining to the others. “I got hit with a tranquilizer while I was at the gym. Nailed me while I was using the flying rings. Good thing I know how to fall...”

He tilted his head toward their sister. “Cassandra kicked Catman’s ass when she rescued me.” Unlike Damian, Dick didn’t seem embarrassed at all at being rescued. Of course, their sister was one of the most skilled fighters in the world, so being rescued by her was rarely cause for embarrassment. That, and Dick lacked Damian’s ego. 

Damian scoffed lightly at his big brother’s words. “As if he would be a challenge for her.” Both Dick and Cassandra smiled at their youngest sibling. 

Jon smiled across the sofas at his big brother as he jumped into the conversation. “And Kon took out Ononona- Onomana- Onomoto-”

“Onomatopoeia.” Damian grumpily finished for his friend. 

“Yeah, him.” Jon didn’t appear phased by his friend’s crankiness. “He never saw Kon comin’! He had a knife against Damian’s throat and a gun on me and he started making gun noises for some reason, but then- _bam_! He was knocked out against a wall a couple miles away.”

“I likely would have been able to handle him myself, you know.” Damian looked at Conner with a sour expression. He had already learned to watch his attitude with the teenage Kryptonian, so his tone wasn’t as venomous as it might have been and he spared Conner his usual glare. 

“I was babysitting you.” Conner pointed out blandly, ignoring the frown the term earned him. “That made him my responsibility.” He looked pretty angry as he explained further. “Besides, he pulled a gun on my brother. You do that, I’m taking you down no matter whose Rogue you are.”

Jason offered a small nod of understanding. “Can’t argue with that.” Meanwhile, his siblings acknowledged their agreement as well.

“Do we know who was behind this?” Tim asked Alfred as the man entered with a tea tray. He sounded sympathetic but disturbed as he spoke again. “I’m sorry Alfie, but I don’t want to even think about tea yet.”

“He was grabbed by the Mad Hatter.” Jason explained for those who were confused by the apology and the refusal of the tea. Of all the kids Alfred had helped raise, Tim was the only one who’d come to love a proper teatime. It was usually a source of comfort for the boy.

Alfred paused for a moment, his expression was unreadable. Then man turned to exit the room without putting down any of the tea cups. “Perhaps some lemonade instead? It is a rather warm day.”

“That sounds great.” Dick commented.

“Thank you, Alfred.” Tim added.

“My pleasure, Master Tim.” He appeared almost sad as he looked at Tim before leaving. 

After Alfred left, Conner turned to Tim. “What happened with the Hatter?”

Tim shrugged and tugged one sleeve of his hoodie that covered his wrist, as though making sure the injuries were still covered even though his best friend had likely already seen them with his x-ray vision. “I knocked him out, Jay took out the henchmen, then he made sure Tetch was secure before we got out of there.”

Jason wasn’t sure why Tim didn’t mention the gunshot, but he appreciated it. He didn’t want to have to deal with Dick’s response to that yet either. He didn’t know how Conner or Jon would react, but he was guessing they wouldn’t approve. He figured Tim knew that and was sparing him the argument or lecture when he was likely going to have to deal with both from their father later. 

Dick looked at Jason. “What about you? You okay?” He looked his little brother over, noting the lack of visible injuries. “Who grabbed you?”

“Poison Ivy. She was planning to go off the kidnapper’s script from the start and ransom me for her own goals instead. Something about Lee Inc and endangered plants… You know how she is.” Jason gave a small shrug. “I bargained my way out by promising to sic Timbers on the problem once he was safe.”

He patted his little brother’s back at the mention of him. Tim chimed in. “Its already taken care of.” Jason nodded. 

Dick frowned. “That’s it?”

Jason arched a brow. “Well, Harley Quinn was there too, and since _someone_ let her find out our identities, she was able to speed things along.”

The others each either looked concerned or irritable. Dick immediately asked what they were likely all worried about. “Does Poison Ivy know who we are now?” 

Jason shook his head. “No. Sadly, it turns out Harley Quinn is better at keeping secrets than you are.”

Dick rolled his eyes. Damian shot Jason a glare. Jon looked like he was trying not to giggle. Cassandra wore a tiny grin. Tim and Conner shared a slightly guilty, amused look.

They were a little surprised when Clark Kent came in with Alfred. 

“Bruce called me.” He explained as he looked his sons and Bruce’s kids over. “He said Conner took down Onomatopoeia. That he was threatening Damian and Jon. Something about a kidnapping attempt? Is everyone all right?”

Jon, Conner, and Dick were quick to fill him in. Jason and Tim stuck to brief versions of their experiences that night. Cassandra let her brothers do most of the talking. Alfred had brought in lemonade and snickerdoodles, which were Tim’s favorite cookies, and the girl was getting in her fill while the others explained.

Everyone had settled down pretty well by the time Bruce returned. He checked Damian and Dick’s necks, even as Alfred filled him in on their injuries. Then he looked over Tim’s face, but Tim simply stated he was fine when their father asked after his injuries. Instead of pushing his second youngest, Bruce thanked Conner for looking out for Damian. 

“If its unsafe for you to be here or act as your vigilante persona now that the police are involved, you’re all welcome at the farm,” Clark reminded his friend. Then he indicated himself and his present sons. “We can look after your family.”

“Thank you, Clark.” Bruce looked at each of his kids. “Anyone want to skip town?” They each refused with varying levels of politeness. Bruce smiled, as did Clark. 

“Definitely your kids.” The Kryptonian commented to his friend. Then his tone turned serious. “Do you want me to stay?”

Bruce shook his head. His tone was calm but appreciative. “Not now. If it gets worse, I’ll call you.” 

Clark accepted that with only one reminder, which he directed at each of the Waynes. “The offer stands, if anyone changes their mind.”

Jon turned a worried expression from Damian to his father. “What if the kidnapper sends someone else while everyone’s away and just Damian and Alfred are here? Onomato...uh?”

“Onomatopoeia.” Each of the Wayne’s filled in for him.

“Onomatopoeia was going to kill me...if I wasn’t bullet proof...which he didn’t know about. And he hurt Damian.” He motioned to his friend's minor injury and then turned his worried gaze to Alfred. “What about Alfred? He isn’t bulletproof.”

Alfred responded with a warm look. “Do not worry, Young Master Kent. I am quite capable of looking after myself.”

“Tell you what? Why don’t we stop by in a couple days? You can play with Damian and see that everyone is alright?” Clark turned from his youngest to Bruce, shooting his friend a questioning look. Bruce nodded that he was fine with that. 

Jon looked at Damian. 

The youngest Wayne rolled his eyes. “Pennyworth and I shall be fine. We aren’t simpletons. We aren’t helpless. I’ll see you in a couple days. Go home with your father.”

Oddly, that seemed to calm Jon down. He agreed to his father’s suggestion without any further argument. Although he did ask Damian to text him while they were apart. His friend begrudgingly agreed.

Despite the previous conversations on the matter, Conner glanced at his best friend when it was clear his family was going to be leaving then. “Want me to stay?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m aware there’s a threat now.” Tim indicated his family. “We’ll get it taken care of.” Then he offered his friend a smile. “Thanks, Con.”

Conner nodded and stood. “If you need help, remember, just call me. I’ll be there.”

Jason had a feeling he wasn’t talking about a phone call. He almost wondered why his little brother didn’t call on his friend more often, but he quickly realized that he rarely called Bizarro and Bruce rarely called Clark when they were in trouble. He supposed they should consider taking their friends up on that offer more, but his family was just used to taking care of things themselves. 

He also realized it would have looked more than a bit suspicious if Tim had shouted out Conner’s name when he was being taken, only to have Superboy show up shortly after and save him. It was one thing for Red Hood to stop the Mad Hatter; he was known for working against certain types of criminals in Gotham, particularly those that targeted children. It would be a different story entirely for Superboy to show up in Gotham specifically to save the Wayne heir after being called. The press would go crazy with theories of how they might be connected. Some might even take the connection to a known hero along with Tim’s advanced intellect and lack of any known social life and reach a conclusion too close to the truth. 

All in all, it was probably wise to save such allies for when they were desperate or at least in their suits. 

Bruce looked over his children once more after the Kents left. 

“The police in Blüdhaven have talked to Catman and Gordon’s men talked to the Mad Hatter’s henchmen. The ones that were conscious, anyway. They acknowledged someone hiring them to kidnap each of you. The henchmen didn’t know any details and Catman claims not to know the identity of the person who hired him. He says he received an article that included a photo of Dick, along with instructions to take and hold him, and a down payment. The only detail he would or could give, was that whoever hired him intended to ransom Dick to me.”

He turned a curious gaze toward his daughter. “Cassandra, what did you do with Zeiss?”

“Returned him to Blackgate.” Cassandra responded before reporting. “He talked before that. Said he was hired. It was nothing personal, just a ransom scheme by someone else, targeting you. He thinks Black Bat got the jump on him while he was stalking me.”

Bruce nodded. “Good job.” He turned to Jason. “And you? Gordon said something about a couple of young women idolizing Poison Ivy. What’s the real story?”

Jason didn’t ask how his father knew that wasn’t the real story. 

“We need to talk to Poison Ivy or Harley Quinn. They knew who was hired to grab Tim, they referred to the hirer with male pronouns and as someone with a gripe against you.” Jason sighed. He hadn’t even thought to demand information on whoever was behind the kidnappings. 

“I was distracted by the Mad Hatter having Tim.” His little brother put a comforting hand on his arm at the statement. “I didn’t stop to ask questions. I just talked them into letting me go and got the hell out of there.”

“Your priorities were exactly where they should have been.” Bruce’s tone was calm, reassuring.

“I’ll talk to Harley Quinn. If any of you learn anything, let me know. I’ll need all the information available if we’re going to find out who’s behind this. In the meantime, each of you needs to be careful.” He looked over each of his children, assessing how they might respond to the latest threat. 

Damian still looked bitter about being rescued, but he nodded. Dick assured their father that he’d be more aware. Tim simply nodded his acknowledgement. Cassandra didn't really react beyond looking at Bruce as he spoke, but she’d caught her would-be kidnapper before he could act, so she likely didn’t feel the need for further vigilance. Jason rolled his eyes at the suggestion that they were kidnapped for lack of being careful.

Bruce appeared satisfied enough with their responses, but then he looked at Jason. His tone was firm with a forced casualness. Clearly, he didn’t want the others to know he was bothered by something and didn’t remember that his children could read him like a book when it came to disappointment. “Jason, could I have a word?”

Jason knew why his father wanted him alone, and he kept his expression neutral as he nodded. Dick and Cassandra looked curious as to what their brother had done. Damian looked suspicious. Tim gave Jason a look that clearly offered to come with them regardless of their father wanting to talk to him alone. Jason patted Tim’s hand and nonchalantly signaled that it was fine. 

He wasn’t sure if truly would be fine, but he knew it was his fight. He’d made the call on Mad Hatter himself. He wasn’t going to let Tim try to protect him if their father wanted to throw a tantrum.

Jason followed his father to his home office and started talking as soon as Bruce closed the door. “I know what you want and you can save it. You aren’t going to make me feel bad about stopping a piece of shit like the Mad Hatter.”

“ _Tim_ stopped him. _You_ nearly killed him.” Bruce’s tone was disappointed and slightly angry. “You technically _did_ kill him. His heart stopped twice on the way to the hospital. He’s being kept alive by a respirator and they weren’t able to take the bullet out, so it could still kill him. Even if he survives, he’ll never be able to move or breathe on his own again.”

“Good.” Jason felt much the same as his father’s tone suggested he felt at the moment. “He _killed kids_ , Bruce. Did you miss that part?”

Bruce signed. Some of the anger retreated and he looked more disappointed. “Jason, it doesn’t matter-”

Jason wasn’t even going to hear where that statement was going. 

“Maybe not to you, but it fucking matters to me. Do you know what those little girls went through? What its like to be killed slowly by some fucking psycho? Do you know what their families are going through now that they’ve been told their child was murdered?” It was a low blow. Jason knew full well that Bruce remembered exactly what a grieving parent felt when their child’s body was returned to them, lifeless and cold.

He’d needed to get that point across before be made his next one. 

“And do you know what he did _after_ he killed those kids and tossed their bodies aside like garbage?” Jason was practically vibrating with anger as he continued. “He sent his goons to knock out _my little brother_. Then he dressed him up like he was a fucking doll. Then he shackled him to a chair in a cold room underground so he could continue playing out his twisted fucking fantasies.”

Jason saw his words take shape in his father’s mind. Saw his own anger matched in his father’s eyes. He nodded slowly. “So yeah, I shot him. Now he’s never gonna walk again and he’s barely gonna be able to talk. 

“That means he’s never gonna trick a child into letting him close. He’s never gonna chase down some poor kid in a dark alley. He’s never gonna carry a kid he knocked out down to whatever new lair he builds the next time he’s free. He’s gonna be stuck in a bed with limbs that don’t work. He’s gonna be hooked up to a respirator because his lungs don’t work, and have bags of crap attached to him because his bowels don’t work, and he’s never gonna get excited by a _fucking child_ again because his cock doesn’t work.”

Jason shook his head. He made no effort to hide the disgust and anger in his tone. “Don’t waste your time trying to tell me there are lines ‘we’ don’t cross or that the sick bastard didn’t deserve it. If Tim hadn’t been there -if I hadn’t had to worry about him feeling guilty- I’d have killed Tetch and I wouldn’t have lost a wink of sleep over it.”

He turned to look out the window, arms crossed and head held high as he waited for his father to react. 

He expected Bruce to make some derivative comment, ostensibly to take one last attempt at making him feel guilty, but really just to get in the last word. Then he’d walk away in disgust or righteous anger. Jason was fine with that. If Bruce didn’t understand this, then he wasn’t going to waste any more time trying to explain. He’d made that clear to his father before; that their newfound relationship didn’t mean he was going to bend to his father’s will. That he wasn’t going to keep apologizing for becoming what the world, and Bruce, had made of him.

But Bruce didn’t make any further attempt at guilt tripping him. He didn’t scold or walk away. Instead, he took a couple steps closer to Jason and gripped the back of his neck, the way he had years ago when Jason was smaller than him and life felt a lot less complicated. 

He met Jason’s mistrustful gaze with an understanding one. His tone was calm and confident. “Jason, Tim is alright. He’s possibly a little shaken, but he’s been trained to deal with this sort of situation. Unfortunately, we both know he’s dealt with worse. He got himself out of there before Tetch could do any serious damage.”

“If he hadn’t gotten out of there when he did… If he didn’t _look_ the way he does...” Jason shook his head, not wanting to think about it but not being able to help it. “If Tetch or his henchmen had found him again, they would have killed him. It wouldn’t have been quick, they would’ve-”

Bruce placed his hands on Jason’s shoulders and gently pressed, encouraging his son to turn and face him. Jason allowed it, still fighting thoughts of what could have happened to his little brother if anything hadn’t gone their way that day.

Bruce’s hands remained on his son’s shoulders, firm and gentle all at once. His voice was like bedrock; solid, rigid, and unwavering in his certainty. “But they didn’t. _You_ found him. You reminded him that he’s never in this alone. _He’s alright_.”

Jason took a breath. As reluctant as he was to ever admit it, Bruce was right. He hated that those other kids had suffered and died, but it was over. Tetch wasn’t going to hurt anyone again. His victims and their families had some justice. Tim was going to be fine and they all needed to move on. 

He nodded, not sure what to say to his father just yet. He appreciated the reality check, but he still wasn’t sure where they stood. 

His father was barely okay with him carrying firearms when he _didn’t_ use lethal ammunition. What Jason had done in the sewers was violent, cruel -not that Tetch didn’t deserve it- and very well could have killed the Rogue. He didn’t expect everything to be okay between them now. As much as he regretted the step backwards, he didn’t regret his choice.

Bruce let one hand slip away, giving Jason an easy opening to leave if he wanted, but he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze with his other hand. “You know how I feel about guns, about killing, and about taking things too far. That isn’t going to change but...” He sighed. It looked like it was hard for him to admit what he said next. “I understand.”

Jason hadn’t expected that. Bruce looked torn, but somehow solid a the same time.

“I saw the police report: Tim woke up chained, in the Alice costume.” Bruce explained, his expression dark. “Do you think I feel any differently than you do at the thought of that man handling him while he was unconscious? Do you think I’m any less terrified than you are, knowing he could have killed him then, if Tim hadn’t looked young enough or been just small enough to play into Tetch’s fantasy? Do you think I’m not furious, knowing what he planned to do with Tim if he hadn’t been skilled enough to escape?”

It was a fair enough argument, but the issue was that Jason couldn’t tell that his father was that angry or terrified at the thought of nearly losing Tim. He was willing to bet that his siblings couldn’t tell either. Starting the discussion on it by focusing on the Mad Hatter’s injuries and dismissing an argument about dead children was a very poor way to express those feelings. “How would I? How would _Tim_? You don’t show it.”

Bruce looked slightly torn by his son’s words, but very determined, very focused. His eyes hardened, but the hand on Jason’s shoulder was still gentle and comforting. His tone was firm when he answered, demanding to be heard. 

“I _can’t_ show it. I can barely _acknowledge_ it. I’m Batman _and_ I’m your father. That means I have to stay focused. I have to find out who did this _and_ make sure each of you get through it. I have to protect my children.

“And that’s what I’m doing now, by talking to you about your actions.” Bruce shook his head. “Jason, do you know the reason you and I have trouble getting along? The reason why I seem to come down so much harder on you than your siblings? It isn’t favoritism. It isn’t because I’m consistently angry at you or because I can’t understand you.

“Its because you and I are too much alike.”

Jason frowned at that. His first instinct was to deny the claim. He’d always done so in the past, whenever someone tried to say Red Hood was like Batman. Hearing it from Bruce was different. He wanted to know how he reached that conclusion. So he stayed quiet.

His father squeezed his shoulder again. He looked at Jason sadly. His expression was almost pitying. “I heard what you said before, about your lines not being in the same place as mine. That just because I can’t cross some and come back doesn’t mean you kids are the same. I see what you meant when you said Tim was never going to do anything like what happened with the Joker again.

“It was hard for him, to make that choice. _Too_ hard. You were right, it hurt him to do it.” Bruce sounded regretful but honest as he finished; “It wouldn’t have hurt me. It would have been easy, once I accepted the good that came from it. Once I convinced myself it was _just_.

“And that’s the problem. It would have been too easy to do it again. Or to do worse.” He still looked sad, almost heartbroken, as he looked over Jason’s face. “You were being honest when you said you wouldn’t have lost any sleep over killing the Mad Hatter. That’s because you’re the same as me. Its going to get easier, until you don’t even think before you pull the trigger.

“Unless you make the decision to stop it _before_ it gets that far.”

Bruce raised his other hand again, to hold onto both of Jason’s shoulders once more. He looked his son in the eyes the whole time he spoke. “There is still so much good in you, Jason. You have compassion, integrity, honor, and despite everything you’ve been through, a great capacity to love. I don’t want to see you lose those parts of yourself.

“I don’t want to lose _you_. _Any_ part of you.” Bruce glanced at his desk with a small, sad smile. Following his gaze, Jason saw a photo of him and his siblings, playing as they built Damian's deluxe turkey coop. “I don’t want to see my other children lose their brother.” 

Bruce caught and held Jason’s gaze again. His tone was firm, certain. “You’re more than just the Red Hood. So much more. Don’t let this city, or this path that I set you on, destroy _you_. Don’t sell yourself short just to do some good a little faster. You’re worth more than that.”

Even when he was a small boy with his mother, even when he was Robin, Jason had never felt as valued as those words made him feel in that moment. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move. He was stunned in a way he’d never been before. His father looked into his eyes and his tone grew firmer still. 

“We might not always see eye to eye, but despite what you might think, I _am_ proud of you. And you’re _always_ my son, no matter what happens.” Bruce didn’t look especially proud or pleased, but he didn’t look quite as disappointed or angry as he had before. “When it comes down to it, you didn’t kill anyone tonight. You made the choice not to. Even if it was only for Tim’s sake, I appreciate that.”

He gave his son’s shoulders one more gentle squeeze before letting go. “Thank you for taking care of your brother.” 

Jason wasn’t sure how to respond to that. To _any_ of it. 

His father looked him over, took in his expression, recognized his confusion. He sighed. “You kids are all so strong, so skilled, so _capable_. Sometimes I forget how young you still are. That you still need some guidance and reassurance. I’m trying to do better with that, but I’m afraid you’re all going to have to be patient with me for a while longer.”

Jason took a breath. He looked at his father. He still didn’t know what to say. He decided to be honest. “This is way outside my comfort zone.”

His father just nodded. His expression was understanding. “Mine too.”

Maybe they were more alike than he’d thought. It was a strangely comforting idea. And a slightly terrifying one. Jason didn't want to become the monster his father feared he might. He also didn’t want to become Bruce. He didn’t want to be Batman. 

He still wanted to protect Gotham, still wanted to stop the bad guys. He wanted to protect his family too. He wanted to be the Red Hood, in whatever shape he ended up making of it. He wanted to be his own man. 

He also wanted his father to know that he appreciated him trying to meet him halfway. That he appreciated the understanding and the explanation. That he appreciated _him_ , even when he pissed him off. Even when they disappointed each other.

“Maybe you aren’t doing _quite_ as bad as you think.”

Bruce looked surprised for a fraction of a second before he slowly smiled at his son. 

“I mean, I’d keep working on it.” Jason smirked. “But you’re getting there.”

“Thank you, Jason.” Bruce’s tone was level, almost sarcastic, but his eyes were warm, amused. “Coming from you, that’s high praise.”

Jason watched those eyes carefully. “You really don’t have any idea who’s behind all this?”

All amusement was gone. “Not yet.” His father was telling the truth. And he hated it. Hated admitting that he didn’t know who was going after his kids. Hated the fact of it.

Jason nodded. Even without hearing any sort of motive, he didn’t think the kidnappings were Bruce’s fault. Even if whoever was behind it had a legitimate gripe with Bruce Wayne, there was no excuse in sending psychopaths after his children. Especially when two of them were _literally_ children. He wasn’t even sure if the ransom scheme was real or just an excuse to send Rogues after innocent kids and young adults in order to hurt their father. 

“Did you ever receive any ransom notices?” 

The way Bruce’s expression darkened suggested that he was as wary of the point as Jason was. “No. I didn’t.”

Poison Ivy had obviously left the kidnapper out to dry from the start. Philo Zeiss and Onomatopoeia had been thwarted while trying to capture their marks. There was no telling if the Mad Hatter had informed whoever hired him that he had Tim or if he’d decided to keep Tim for himself as soon as he saw the boy. But Catman had successfully kidnapped Dick. The question was, had Cassandra rescued her brother before his hirer could send the ransom demands, or had there never been a ransom scheme to begin with? Had it all been a ruse to cover up something else?

“We’ll figure it out.” Jason was sure of that. His father looked equally certain when he nodded his agreement. 

“We will.” After a long moment, Bruce looked at the clock. “Its getting late. Have you eaten?”

Jason released a short laugh. After everything that had happened, worrying over whether he or any of his siblings had eaten seemed trivial. “No. I haven’t. Been a little busy.”

“I doubt your brothers and sister have either. Other than the cookies Cassandra was inhaling when I arrived.” Bruce motioned for his son to follow as he moved to leave. “Come on then, let’s eat. I’m sure Alfred still managed to prepare something.” 

As they approached the sitting room, he made one more comment. “You and Tim are welcome to stay tonight, if you want.”

They ended up all staying for dinner. Then, Dick and Cassandra decided to stay the night and head back to Blüdhaven in the morning. Jason and Tim decided to go home that evening. 

Jason had made a bit of a mess when he stopped to change before, only taking care to properly hide anything of the Red Hood’s. He straightened everything out once he got home. 

Tim said that he was going to take a shower as he headed straight to the bathroom. The fact that he skipped his usual perimeter check sent a warning flag up in Jason's consciousness. Dex followed Tim, and Jason found the cat sitting on the toilet, guarding the shower, when he peeked into the room to check nearly half an hour later. Tim never took long in the shower, so he was worried. Dex looked him over and then offered a slow blink, signaling that he’d been deemed a non-threat. With that, Jason opened the door a bit more and stuck his head in. 

From the outline he could make out through the frosted glass of their shower, it looked like Tim was just standing there, with his forehead leaning against the wall and his wrists tucked under his elbows. At least he was standing. Jason had been worried that maybe he’d been hurt worse than they’d known. “Timbers, you okay in there?” 

“Yeah, just...feel gross.” He ran his hands over his hair, possibly washing it out. “I’ll be out in a minute. I know you have some questions.”

He did. But the most important was whether Tim was okay or not. 

He went into their living room and set up one of the games they’d been playing lately. It was the kind they liked to play to help shift their brains down to sleep after a long night. The sort with repetitive actions and a lot of grinding. It would be a good reprieve after the long day and make Tim feel less like he was being questioned and more like his big brother was just checking in with him as they played. 

Tim appeared to appreciate it when Jason handed him a controller. He waited until Tim looked mostly relaxed before asking anything. 

“Did they say anything before they knocked you out?”

“No. They took out security and hit Mrs Torres when she refused to unlock the conference room for them. Then they told me to come quietly and they wouldn’t have to hurt anyone else.” Tim sighed. “I didn’t have much choice but to go along with them.”

Jason nodded and bumped his little brother’s shoulder with his own. “You did the right thing.” He glanced at the bandages on Tim's wrist. He hadn’t hid them again after his shower. Jason wasn’t certain if that was because Tim felt there was no point in hiding them from Jason since he’d already seen them. Or if his little brother just felt comfortable enough with him to let the injuries show.

Either way, the reminder made him think of what their father had said earlier. “B said you told the police you woke up in the costume. Is that true?”

Jason wasn’t sure which would be worse. The Mad Hatter forcing a conscious Tim to change into the costume, or the Mad Hatter undressing and dressing his little brother while he was unconscious. He’d seen Roy change Lian when the girl was out cold and he’d helped Alfred dress Tim after the last time he’d been injured enough to require removing his clothes. It was a very hands-on task. His father had been right to assume it would mean the Rogue’s hands had been all over his victim, especially with the tights.

Tim looked uncomfortable at the memory but not so much that Jason felt the need to put the brakes on the conversation. “Yeah. I was already shackled to the chair, too. I don’t know exactly how long I was out...probably around to two hours.”

Jason did the math, considering the time Lucius had called Alfred to the time Jason picked Tim up from GCPD. He wasn’t sure exactly how long Tim had fought the Rogue before he arrived or exactly how long he’d spent in the sewers. From what he could guess, Tim’s estimate followed, which wasn’t surprising since it was Tim. He was very good with numbers.

Depending on the route his kidnappers took, getting Tim to that part of the sewers from Wayne Tower could have taken forty-five minutes to an hour. The Mad Hatter was skilled in making clothes, and he’d made the same dress several times, so he could have gotten it done in under half an hour, easily. Dressing Tim could have taken as little as ten minutes or as much as thirty, depending on how Tetch had handled the dead weight and if he’d had help or not. Moving Tim from his dressing room to his tea room would only have taken a few minutes. The Mad Hatter likely had set up the tea party while his henchmen were getting Tim, but the hot tea upon Jason’s arrival meant he’d made it after Tim woke up. Tim probably made his move to escape while the Rogue was setting up the tea and cakes. 

Each of the injuries Jason had seen on his little brother worked with the story as well. The bruise from the cane, the injuries from the shackles, the other marks from the struggle. He still wanted to check and make sure that was it. “Are you, okay, otherwise?”

Tim glanced at Jason, looking slightly thrown off, then looked closer and immediately understood. He continued watching his big brother as he answered. “Yeah. I was shaken up...mostly because of what happened the last time, with the other guy. You know everything Tetch did, I promise. From what we saw, I’m a little too old for his tastes anyway.”

Tim looked disturbed and sounded disgusted as he made that final point. Jason felt the same.

Jason believed his little brother. He nodded. He was still glad he’d shot the Rogue. He took another long look at his little brother and then turned his gaze back to the game. “You know what I did, right?”

Tim continued playing as well. His voice wasn’t distant or distracted though. He was very much focused on his big brother. “I know. Was it...” He took a breath. “Was it because of me? Because of _him_?”

Jason knew which ‘him’ his little brother was referring to. The Joker. It was a fair question. One there wasn’t a simple yes or no answer to. “It was because of everything. You, _him_ , the Mad Hatter, his fucking henchmen, the kidnappings, the dead girls, the costume. Everything.”

He shook his head and took a deep breath himself. “I’m sick of the cycle. We put these assholes away and they just keep coming back, and they keep hurting people. I’m done with it. I’m not going to let them keep hurting you. I’m not going to let any of them keep killing kids.”

He waited for his little brother to respond. He knew Tim despised killing almost as much as Bruce did. He knew what he’d done was only better by a thin margin. While Tim had crippled the Joker, the situation had been different. Tim’s intentions had been different. 

Tim had been tortured. He’d been protecting Jason. He’d calculated the injury to ensure the Joker had the best chance of survival while still being disabled. The Joker could still breathe on his own and his heart beat on its own. He might even regain the use of some fingers or a full hand. He’d just never be mobile or strong enough to kidnap or kill anyone again like he’d done to Tim and Jason.

The same hadn’t been true with Jason and the Mad Hatter. Jason had already seen that Tim was safe. What he’d done was simple justice or revenge, depending on who was asked. He hadn’t taken care to ensure the Mad Hatter’s survival. He hadn’t cared if the Rogue died of his injury or needed machines to keep him alive. He’d only cared that the Mad Hatter would never hurt another child and his little brother wouldn’t bear the guilt of his murder.

Tim shifted closer to his big brother. Jason immediately felt a sense of relief. His little brother’s tone was thoughtful. He was considering the situation and Jason’s goals against his own morals. “You did what you thought was right. I don’t think its my place to say whether it was or not.

“But can I ask you something?” Tim glanced at Jason, checking his reaction. He sounded genuinely curious. 

Jason nodded. “Sure.” If it would help his little brother understand what he did, he could take whatever Tim wanted to ask. It would be worth it for just the possibility of Tim seeing such an act as something closer to acceptable.

“Was it for justice, or revenge?” From someone else, that would probably be a loaded question. Tim was just trying to understand. To figure out how he felt about the situation. Jason didn’t feel judged or looked down upon. He actually felt good that his little brother cared enough and respected him enough to ask.

It was a good question too. Unfortunately, it was another one that didn’t have a simple answer. “It was both. I wanted justice for all the kids he’s taken and all the families he’s devastated. I wanted them to be able to move on. I wanted others who were afraid of losing their kids to have some reprieve.

“I also wanted revenge.” Jason admitted. One of his hands was gripping the controller tightly, the other was balled into a fist on his thigh. “I wanted payback for him threatening _my_ family.”

Tim considered the response, and nodded slowly. “I get it. And I’ll never fault you for doing what you think is just.” He wasn’t simply being kind. Jason could tell the words were genuine. He could also tell he wasn’t finished. 

His little brother swallowed. He looked nervous. “I’m sorry you weren’t avenged; I know what that meant to you. But if something ever happens to me…I want you to know that being avenged isn’t important to me. I’d rather you try to be okay. We’ve seen what revenge has cost a lot of people. I don’t want you to pay that price.” 

Tim looked at his big brother again. “Its not worth it.” He looked back at the television afterwards, but clearly wasn’t focused on their game. He was waiting for Jason to react. 

To Jason, being left unavenged after his murder had been adding insult to injury. It made him just another victim. It meant the Joker could go on to continue spreading his own brand of terror, which made Jason’s death meaningless. It meant the loss of him hadn’t meant enough for his father to put the Rogue down for good. Between that and his replacement as Robin, and as Bruce’s adopted son, he’d felt like he might as well have never existed to begin with. 

He felt better about the last point these days. He understood that taking in Tim after his passing hadn’t been something Bruce’s planned. It had just happened, similar to the way he’d ended up with Jason after Dick moved on. Recently, he started being able to see that Bruce’s refusal to kill the Joker didn’t necessarily mean he hadn’t grieved the loss of his son. Of course, he would have preferred if it hadn’t taken the Joker kidnapping Tim for his father to start talking about it. He needed to not think about that at the moment though. 

Not when Tim had just been kidnapped again. Jason had already shot one Rogue. That line of thought would lead to worse and he was trying to avoid murder sprees these days.

He got that some of his problems with being left unavenged were based on his own issues. He knew that not everyone felt that way. He understood if Tim didn’t. He respected that. But he didn’t like the implication that Tim -the loss of him, the dishonor to him- wasn’t worth vengeance. He could understand if Tim felt his memory was better served by continuing to uphold the ideals he’d fought for, but not if he’d worked out some sort of value system and found himself lacking.

Jason took a breath. “What I did to the Mad Hatter was for me as much as it was for you. Actually it was more for me. I understand what you’re saying...but he hurt you. He threatened to take you from me. From our family.”

He shook his head. “I can’t forgive something like that. I can’t just forget it and move on. If something ever happens to you, I’m going after whoever was responsible. Its just not in me to leave it alone. Don’t blame yourself for it and don’t think you weren’t worth whatever it costs me.”

Tim was quiet for a moment, contemplative. Finally, he took a deep breath, as if it was going to be hard to say what came next. “If something happened to you...I’d want whoever was responsible to pay. I know that’s not justice. I know its wrong. But I don’t know what I’d do.”

He looked at Jason again. “I just want you to know that I get it. I understand that feeling.” 

It wasn’t what Jason had expected and Tim looked slightly ashamed to admit that. Jason wasn’t sure why. He didn’t know if it was just because the idea of vengeance went against Tim’s morals, or if it had something to do with their father’s influence. His little brother valued intellect and planning, so he might have been ashamed to admit his emotional response could overrule his mind. He probably didn’t like that he couldn't say which would win when his heart and his mind wanted two different things.

“Just or not, wrong or not, I think its normal.” Jason commented lightly, but not without thought or awareness of the seriousness of the topic. “Wanting revenge; wanting to hurt someone who hurt us or the people we love. History is full of people getting payback. There are plays, novels, and movies based entirely on revenge. 

“I get that it doesn't mean anyone who feels wronged should have revenge.” He thought about all of the types of criminals that he’d encountered over the years he’d been a vigilante. “I know a lot of the criminals we stop are just paying someone back for what they see as a slight. Most of them are wrong to do it. Even the ones who have a legitimate hurt are usually going about it wrong.

“But sometimes, its understandable. Sometimes, its even right. That’s why I’m not anti-lethal like the rest of you, and its also why I don’t kill _every_ criminal I stop. I know not everyone who does something wrong deserves the same done to them. But some of them _do_.” Jason looked at Tim; his little brother was listening with interest. 

“That’s why I think you shouldn’t beat yourself up for feeling that way. You’ve had the chance to kill plenty of people that most would agree deserve it. If you ever do cross that line, you wouldn’t have done it lightly. You wouldn’t have done it just for yourself.” He bumped his little brother’s shoulder again. “ _That’s_ what makes you different from them, no matter what Bruce says.”

“Then that makes you different too.” Tim caught his big brother’s eyes and gave a look that said he had to admit it was a fair assessment. Then he offered a small grin. “No matter what Bruce says.”

Tim had told him once, that he got it, why Jason had acted the way he did when he first returned. Jason believed that, but his little brother’s next statement had given him pause. Tim had sounded quite convinced when he said that, eventually, they _all_ would get it. Jason hadn’t shared Tim’s certainty.

He still wasn’t certain, but he wasn’t so sure there was no chance anymore. Not after Tim had so easily understood why he did what he did to the Mad Hatter. Not after what their father had said earlier. 

Jason grinned in return. “I guess you’re right.”

They turned their attention back to the game. They played until Tim’s character started lagging behind and then Jason felt his little brother’s head fall against his shoulder. He paused the game and leaned his head back. It had been a long day, and they still had some questions to answer, but he was home. His family was safe. 

They would deal with whatever was coming.


	2. Bruce

Bruce awoke late a couple days after the attempted kidnapping of his children. It had been the first time he slept since that happened. He’d been looking for answers. So now he was rested, but still worried.

Because he wasn’t finding them.

He’d checked the police reports to see what information had been gathered. It was mostly the same as what Gordon had already informed him as Bruce Wayne. Then, Batman had a talk with Philo Zeiss and Catman. He wanted to know who had arranged the kidnappings and why they had targeted Bruce Wayne. He got the same answers Cassandra and Gordon had reported. 

The Rogues admitted they were hired. Their targets had been specific. They knew Bruce Wayne was the ultimate mark, but they didn’t know or care why. They didn’t know the identity of whoever hired them. They’d been paid in cash and had destroyed everything else their hirer sent them. 

He’d had better luck with Harley Quinn. She wouldn’t take him to Poison Ivy, but she told him everything she’d witnessed and that the other woman had told her. Everything she told him sounded plausible and there was some good information to work from.

Ivy wasn’t a Rogue for hire. She wasn’t willing to do someone else’s dirty work with nothing but a target and potentially empty promise from a faceless man. She’d ignored the kidnapper until he contacted her again. She made him come to her in person. She described him as on the far end of middle aged, with light skin, dark hair and eyes, and an air of self importance. He had an American accent with an East Coast drawl, and wore a needlessly expensive suit.

Ivy had made it clear that she wasn’t interested unless he could prove there was enough in it for her to be worth her time and effort. She also said she needed some guarantee that the man’s plan would work and lead to a payout. From there, Ivy managed to manipulate the man into admitting that he’d hired more Rogues to go after Bruce Wayne’s other kids. Asking about Jason’s little brother-slash-roommate led to her gaining the information on who was taking Tim and where. She hadn’t intended to do anything with the information until she decided to look up Tim Wayne while Harley talked to Jason. Tim’s efforts to get Gotham to go green had impressed her enough that she decided he was not only trustworthy to handle the Lee Inc problem, but also worth saving from the clutches of his kidnappers.

She’d gotten more information from the man who hired her while they were negotiating her price. Not only had he stated that he could pass along the money he’d gain from the ransom, he also said that he’d be in a position of power after the scheme was successful. He claimed he’d be able to help her set up a preserve. He claimed he would be able to arrange funding for her research for the next decade. 

That meant he wasn’t _just_ someone who had it in for Bruce Wayne. He was _also_ someone who would benefit from his misfortune. The most likely candidates that he could think of were business rivals and even a few people he’d worked with. He tried to think of any that might hold something against him, but no one stood out, even among those who could argue he’d put them out of business. He did background checks on any of them whose business was successful enough to believe they would be able to take over any decent measure of Wayne Enterprises' business if Bruce downgraded after paying a massive ransom or because he wanted to put more focus on his children. There were some ruthless businessmen and businesswomen on that list, but he couldn’t find anything to suggest any were ruthless enough to go after his kids.

Unlike Zeiss, Catman, and the Mad Hatter, Poison Ivy hadn’t destroyed everything the man had originally sent her naming his price and target. She’d passed it along for Harley Quinn to give to Batman. 

“Why is she giving me this?” It wasn’t that Bruce didn’t appreciate the lead. He just wasn’t sure what someone like Poison Ivy would expect in return. As much as he wanted to find whoever was threatening his children, he knew he likely wouldn't be willing to give her whatever she wanted. 

Harley Quinn rolled her eyes and popped her gum. “Relax, Bats. We know ya aren’t gonna negotiate. Not like Read Hood or the last Robin, the little red one…Ivy still calls him ‘little sapling’.” She smiled fondly. “He’s a good kid.”

Bruce glared at the woman and she held a hand up, realizing her mistake. “Not ta worry; she doesn’t know it was him the Hatter snatched. She doesn’t know who any of ya are. I promised not ta tell anyone and she respects me too much ta ask.” 

She looked serious as she said that -or as serious as she ever looked- and happy. Bruce still wasn’t sure about the idea of Harley Quinn reforming, but Dick had convinced him to give her a chance. While he wouldn’t hesitate to put the woman away if she went back to her old tricks, he actually did hope she and Ivy were able to walk the fine line that defined antiheroes, at least. There were enough villains in the world and she had helped his kids a couple times already. That didn’t mean he was going to assume Poison Ivy was helping him for no reason.

The reassurance that his family’s identities were safe was welcome news, but it still hadn’t answered his question. “So then why is she helping me?” 

“’Cause we got our standards too, Bats. We don’t like this guy.” Harley briefly looked disgusted at that, but then she brightened. “And ‘cause li’l Timmy Wayne came through with shining colors!” She grinned. “Not only did he kill the Lee Inc deal, but he made sure the plants are safe an’ preserved.”

She shrugged, still grinning. “Ivy’s happy. I’m happy. We figured, we might as well make ya happy too.” She gave a wave as she turned to leave. “Good luck, Bats!”

He was running everything on the SD card the supposedly reforming Rogues had given him: fingerprints, DNA, and of course, sourcing all the files on it. 

It contained a screen grab of an article on Jason’s homecoming that featured a good quality photo. There was also some personal information about Jason, to help track him down. Bruce frowned when he saw details like the fact that Jason didn’t have set working hours, along with which branch of Gotham National Bank he normally used, a description of his car, and the location of his office within Wayne Enterprises. Finally, there was payment information and a brief note. It stated that it was important she get that specific target, _Jason_ , rather than any of Bruce Wayne’s other children. Bruce wondered if that last detail was what made Ivy curious enough to ask after at least one of the other Wayne children.

There were no fingerprints or DNA samples on the card. The information had been transferred to it from a public computer at the library. The library had security cameras at the front desk, employee lounge, and the exits only. Hacking the library’s system showed that the computer had been used by a guest rather than a card holder. The guest had paid cash and used a fake name.

Bruce had rarely been quite this frustrated by a case. The lack of answers thus far was infuriating. His children had handled their assorted attackers just fine, naturally, but that didn’t make it okay. He hated that they had been threatened. Hated further that he couldn't find whoever had done it.

He headed outside to check on Damian again. He and Jon were working with Titus and Krypto in the dog obstacle course that the family had made on the Manor grounds. Clark was watching the boys. To the untrained eye, he was simply a father laughing as he oversaw his son playing with a friend. Bruce could see that he was on alert for any sign that their youngest children were in danger again. 

After all, Onomatopoeia had threatened Jon even more so than Damian. The latter, he was meant to take alive. The former had been a bonus for him. Another life to claim. He likely would have been even more of a target if Onomatopoeia had pulled the trigger and realized he wasn’t dealing with an average eleven-year-old.

That was assuming the Rogue had intended to hand Damian over. Ivy hadn’t planned to give Jason to the man who had hired her and it sounded as if the Mad Hatter had decided to keep Tim for himself. Fortunately, Onomatopoeia didn’t know Damian's identity as Robin, or he likely would have added the boy’s costume to his collection. Bruce had to stop his thoughts there. Getting angry or overprotective wasn’t going to find the man responsible for setting the Rogues upon his children. 

Confident that Damian was alright for the time being, Bruce decided to head to the Batcave to continue seeking answers. 

For starters, he would take the images of every man who matched Ivy’s description that had entered or exited the library within two hours of the time the information on the SD card was put together. If the man who contacted each of the Rogues gave the same type of information as they had on Jason, then they’d watched each of his children for a few days at least. Bruce knew they were careful about keeping their alternate identities a secret. He also knew they were normally very aware of their surroundings. If someone had been hanging around and watching them, the odds were they would noticed him, consciously or not. 

If more than one of them recognized the same man, then that was their first suspect.

As Bruce headed for the stairs, his phone chimed with a text alert. It was from an unknown number. The message stopped him in his tracks.

' _Mr Wayne, I’m watching one of your children right now. Such a shame I wasn’t able to meet any of them the other day. My fault for hiring incompetent help. If you can guess which child I’m watching, I’ll let them live. You have three ‘either or’ questions and one hour. No asking who or where. Questions must be at least somewhat focused on your child._ '

“Clark.” His voice wasn’t nearly loud enough for the boys to hear, but plenty loud enough for his Kryptonian friend. His tone was enough to bring Clark to Bruce’s side immediately. Bruce turned the phone to him so he could read the message. “Watch the boys.”

Clark nodded and was back out with Damian and Jon in a heartbeat. He clearly checked their surroundings and surreptitiously shook his head toward Bruce when he saw him watching. 

One child cleared, four more to go. 

Bruce sent a text to each of the others as he hurried toward the Batcave. 

‘ _ROLL CALL_ ’ 

His kids knew that meant they had to respond right away. They always handled it by telling him where they were, as well as what they were doing, as those questions were predicted to follow.

‘ _On a date at Red Robin_ ’, Dick replied right away. 

Tim responded immediately as well. ‘ _Working at the office._ ’.

Jason’s was only a couple seconds behind. ‘ _At the range what up?_ ’

Cassandra was the last, but that was hardly cause for concern. ‘ _W Harper @ her place_ ’.

As he’d considered before, each of his kids were good about being aware of their surroundings. However, when they were out as civilians there wasn’t as much cause to be stringently so beyond the need to protect their secrets. Nevertheless, Jason was a member at a private shooting range and would notice anyone new there or anyone behaving suspiciously, such as paying him too much interest. Cassandra and Harper together would certainly notice someone skulking about outside of the young woman’s apartment. Dick wouldn’t know who belonged in the restaurant or not and would be focused on his date, so he would only pay attention to especially suspicious behavior. Tim would be focused on his work and would only be aware of any unknown persons in certain areas of the building. The buildings nearby, and their very many windows that faced Wayne Tower, wouldn’t draw his attention unless someone watching him made it obvious enough to do so.

That meant it was most likely Dick or Tim under threat. Bruce wondered if it was a coincidence that they’d been the ones to be (more or less) successfully taken during the kidnapping scheme. He wondered if they’d been deemed easier targets. Bruce considered that of each of his kids, they were the ones with the most regular schedule. They were also the ones most likely to be caught by themselves. That alone would have made them the most convenient targets.

Bruce texted his kids again. ‘ _One of you is being watched. 58 min left._ ’ He trusted his children to understand that meant they had that long until whatever threat was being made was executed. 

There was a moment’s pause before Jason and Cassandra replied with the same word, ‘ _Clear_ ’. 

It would be harder for Dick and Tim to assess the likelihood of them being targeted, so Bruce tried to remain patient as he waited for them to respond. 

In the meantime, he used the intercom to call Alfred. “Alfred, one of the kids is being threatened, probably Dick or Tim. Dick is on a date at Red Robin in Blüdhaven and Tim is working at Wayne Tower. Call Gordon and then get down here. Clark has Damian.”

Alfred’s reply came swiftly. “Right away, Sir.”

Bruce would have preferred to handle the situation himself. The Bat-Computer would identify the source of the texts before the police could and the Bat Family didn’t have to bother with warrants. However, Bruce couldn’t risk anyone asking why he hadn’t contacted the police if the threats were discovered later. Especially since the kidnapper hadn’t told him not to contact the police. The kidnapper had also proven that he was comfortable making his targets known publicly, since Dick, Jason, and Tim had been taken from public locations. 

It was frustrating, knowing he could handle this faster on his own but being unable to without risking too much. 

Both Dick and Tim replied at the same time, neither helped him narrow the threat between the two.

‘ _Guy from back table keeps watching me_.’ Dick’s text was quickly followed with another. ‘ _Might just be checking me out Watched my ass when I passed before_ ’

Meanwhile, Tim responded with; ‘ _Being watched from S-E building. 3rd floor down. 5th window from L. No sign of weapons._ ’ 

‘ _Stay_ ’ Bruce texted the single command to his kids. They would forgive any curtness under the circumstances. 

After a brief pause, Tim texted again. ‘ _Altered security to be on watch for suspicious persons._ ’

If the police checked, they would have wondered why security wasn’t alerted otherwise. Bruce responded with one word. ‘ _Good_ ’

In the meantime, he needed to locate the phone he was being texted from. He also needed to make sure the kidnapper didn’t suspect they were talking to Batman. That meant he needed to start asking the kidnapper questions. He couldn’t appear too calm or too clever. 

Jason suddenly sent a text saying, ‘ _En route to WE_ ’. 

At the same time, Casandra texted, ‘ _H & I on way to RR_’.

‘ _Good_ ’ Bruce replied and then sent another text. ‘ _Tim, any food around?_ ’

Asking if his child was eating would do no good if Tim might be eating at the office. Asking after gender or eye color was obviously pointless. He considered asking after their age, but obvious questions like that seemed too easy and the kidnapper was clearly trying to be clever. He suspected there would be some sort of penalty for taking the obvious route. 

Despite how odd the question might have seemed, his son answered it right away and with no questions of his own. ‘ _Yes. Didn’t finish lunch. Still here._ ’

Bruce considered asking whether his child was indoors or outdoors. He texted his children first to avoid any loopholes. ‘ _Dick, inside or on patio? Tim, inside or on terrace?_ ’

Both boys texted back with the same word: ‘ _Inside_ ’.

Alfred arrived in the Batcave. “Commissioner Gordon is on his way here and is sending a squad car to Wayne Tower. Some of his men are contacting the Blüdhaven PD to send someone after Master Dick. What is our time line?”

“Fifty-one minutes,” Bruce answered. Getting an idea and not wanting to wait too long to contact the kidnapper, he sent another text to check first. ‘ _Tim, alone?_ ’

The response was immediate. ‘ _Yes._ ’ 

Bruce sent a text to the blocked number that initially contacted him. ‘ _1st Q: Is my child alone?_ ’

The answer came immediately. ‘ _There are several people in the building_ ’.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed. “Damn it, he’s playing games.”

He’d suspected the kidnapper would try to worm out of answering. Sometimes he hated being right. Asking if his child was working or on a date would be futile at that point. The kidnapper could technically not know if he was far enough away. Even if he knew the answer, he could easily claim ignorance and answer broadly as he had with the ‘alone’ question. 

The search on the phone number he’d received the text from finished. It was connected to an unlisted, disposable phone with no longterm contract and no GPS services. The phone and airtime card were paid for in cash. There was no name or email address associated with it. Bruce frowned. 

“The phone he’s texting me from is a dead end. I’m going to have to go off the cell towers to find out which city he’s texting me from.” That would take longer.

The kidnapper texted him again. ‘ _I wonder if they can feel my eyes on them. But they’re probably used to that feeling. Your child is quite easy on the eyes. It must be unbearable, knowing what people are thinking when they look at them._ '

Bruce glared at the message. Then he texted his children once more. ‘ _What is the man watching you doing?_ ’

‘ _Eating oysters Rockefeller_ ’ Dick replied ‘ _And watching me nonstop now_ ’.

That was pretty creepy and a little suggestive, much like the kidnapper’s final comments had been. Tim’s response was much more so. 

‘ _Masturbating_ ’. There was a half-second long pause before he added, ‘ _I bought blinds for the office windows_ ’.

Bruce’s free hand balled into a fist. He had to keep calm. He had to think clearly. 

Then it occurred to him that Dick had likely looked directly at the man watching him while Tim had likely been more discreet in checking out the nearby buildings through the windows. He sent another text. ‘ _Dick, have you made eye contact with the man?’_

The response came right away. ‘ _Yes He held contact & sucked an oyster No oysters @ dinner for a while pls_’

Bruce contacted the kidnapper again. ‘ _2nd Q: Has my child seen you tonight?_ ’

Again the response was immediate. ‘ _Yes, but the question is, did they realize it?_ ’

Bruce was leaning toward Dick. The next question had to confirm or deny it somehow.

Asking how close he was to Bruce’s child likely wouldn't get a straight answer. They kept their scars too well hidden to ask after any such distinguishing marks. Tim’s face was visibly bruised, but Dick’s neck bore a bandage hiding the bruise and puncture mark from his attack as well. Asking if they were injured was also pointless. 

Cassandra suddenly texted again. ‘ _@ RR bar can see D & creep_’

Bruce considered telling Cassandra to go say hello to her brother so the kidnapper would see him with more than one person. He didn’t want to give away that they were watching him though. He also didn’t want to make them both targets. 

Thinking of them having eyes on the creep gave him an idea though. 

‘ _Dick, has the creep used his phone at all since I started texting?_ ’

‘ _No_ ’.

That meant the man watching Dick wasn’t the man texting Bruce. It could be someone he’d hired to watch his son, the way he’d hired the Rogues to kidnap his children. It could just be some other creep. Blüdhaven wasn’t short on them. For that matter, Gotham had plenty of creeps too.

Fortunately, Bruce had a pair of aces up his sleeve. ‘ _Cassandra, stick close to your brother. Tim, do the same when Jason arrives._ ’.

Bruce only had one question left before the kidnapper made his move on one of his kids…unless he guessed correctly. That was assuming the man kept his word. He didn’t know what the odds were of his kids being able to escape otherwise, but they had better odds together. The man hadn’t said how he planned to kill them. They could be talking a shootout, a sniper, explosives, poison, or another kidnapping to give him time to draw it out.

His kids were good, but they were limited in their civilian identities. And they couldn’t be certain the men watching them were actually the source of the threat. If the kidnapper was watching them vicariously though men he’d hired or if he’d hired them to serve as a distraction, then he could still hurt them. 

Before he could ask his final question, Tim texted him again.

‘ _Jay is here._ ’

At the same time, Jason’s phone texted, but Bruce quickly understood that it was Tim using it to alibi his brother if the phone’s GPS was checked. ‘ _Red Hood beating guy at window Tim calling EMT Can kidnapper still text?_ ’

If he could, then he wasn’t the guy Jason was currently beating up. That didn’t mean the kidnapper wasn’t watching Tim, just as Dick not seeing the guy watching him use his phone didn’t rule out Dick as the target. At least each of his kids had backup now. 

Bruce’s alarms alerted him to vehicles approaching the Manor. A quick glance at the security feedback told him Gordon was nearly there. He texted his kids to let them know as he started heading up to the Manor. He’d hired security for the front gate, they’d buy him a few minutes as they checked Gordon’s ID. 

When he stepped out, he saw Gordon standing out of his car, talking over the radio. “Alright, follow the EMT and an send an extra squad car to check on the Wayne boys.”

Gordon looked at Bruce as he approached the car. “We just got in an emergency call from your son, Timothy. He’s okay. You might not believe this, but Red Hood is taking out someone who was stalking him through his office window.”

Considering that Red Hood had saved Tim from the Mad Hatter, Gordon was probably wondering it if was coincidence that the vigilante had saved his second youngest again. One thought would be that Red Hood was after the same man they were for whatever reason. Another would be if the outlaw had some interest in Tim. 

Bruce turned the focus back onto the fact that at least one of his children was in danger.

“He makes a pretty strange guardian angel but if he keeps my kid safe, I’ll take him.” He held up his phone for Gordon to see the kidnapper's texts. “I alerted my kids after the kidnapper contacted me. Tim spotted a man watching him through the window.” His voice darkened, as did his expression when he finished. “The man was masturbating while he watched him.”

Gordon’s expression darkened too. He was a father as well. He knew what it was like to know your child was being targeted. He immediately grabbed his radio. “If Red Hood leaves the guy alive again, keep him under watch. Even if he’s not the kidnapper, he’s a perp.”

Bruce nodded his gratitude and handed Gordon his phone. “Jason started heading to Tim once I told them what was happening. He’s with him now. Knowing Jason, he demanded Tim point the guy out to him once he heard what he was doing. My guess is that’s when they spotted Red Hood.”

Gordon nodded and scrolled through the texts. He frowned at the kidnapper’s last commentary. “Your butler said your youngest is here, while Jason was at a private shooting range, and Dick was at Red Robin in Blüdhaven. Where is your daughter? He didn’t say.”

Bruce had to make it clear why he wasn’t as worried about his daughter without suggesting she was one of the best hand-to hand combatants in the world. “She’s also in Blüdhaven. She was with a friend when I texted. Her friend’s apartment building would make it impossible for anyone to be watching them without being seen. As soon as she heard what was happening, she and her friend headed to Red Robin. I told them to stay with her brother.”

Gordon nodded slowly, thinking as he spoke. “You’re hoping the presence of your daughter and her friend near your other son will scare off the kidnapper if he’s the target?”

Bruce sighed and shook his head, looking like a desperate and distraught father. “I couldn’t think of anything else. I figured, between them and the date, it might look too risky to make a move.”

“Its worth a shot anyway.” Gordon scrolled back to the kidnapper’s first text and checked the time. “You have one question and twenty minutes left. I think you should wait until the deadline. If my men haven’t cleared your kids yet, ask whether your child is with his brother or sister, since they aren’t alone anymore. Whatever he responds with, we’re going to try to drag it out, buy us time to locate him.”

“As long as it doesn’t put my children in further danger, we can do whatever you think is best.” Bruce looked at Gordon sternly. “But what about the Blüdhaven PD? Aren’t they going to do anything? Dick said there’s a man in the restaurant, watching him and being very suggestive about it.”

Gordon looked disappointed. “I contacted them. I don’t know how much of a priority they put on it, but the name ‘Wayne’ should get their attention. Unfortunately, its out of my jurisdiction. I’m sorry. I’ll do everything I can to find out who’s doing this, Mr Wayne.” 

He handed Bruce his phone back. “In the meantime, tell your kids to stay together and stay put. May I have your permission to check your cell records for today to see if we can determine where these texts are coming from?”

Bruce was already texting his children as he answered. “Of course. Whatever helps you find this guy sooner. I want my children to be safe.”

Gordon nodded. “Believe me, I understand.” He got on his radio. “Hey, someone set a fire under the Blüdhaven PD’s ass. We have a possible suspect at the restaurant with Grayson-Wayne and Wayne’s daughter has joined her brother there. We also have Wayne’s permission to use his phone records, so someone figure out where these texts are coming from. Do we have anyone in custody here yet?”

“Roger that, Sir.” Came the response. “Red Hood was long gone but we got the peeper in custody. He’s en route to the hospital. Looks like all the bones in one hand are broken and there’s severe damage to his face and his, er, nether regions. Detective Montoya is with Wayne’s sons.”

Bruce released a sigh that sounded more relived than he actually felt. “At least they aren’t alone anymore.”

“Detective Montoya is one of my best, Mr Wayne. She’ll take good care of them.” Gordon was quick to reassure him. 

Bruce knew of the detective’s work well. His family had worked with her in their vigilante persona often enough and she’d been on several dates with Kate. If his children had actually been helpless, he would have been glad to have her looking out for them. Even with them being far from helpless, he was glad she was with them. He knew she would react to any situation accordingly and his boys wouldn’t have to worry about her if the kidnapper or a hired thug made an appearance.

He nodded to Gordon. “My cousin knows her and speaks highly of her. Coming from Kate, that means a lot.”

The dispatcher spoke again before Gordon could respond. “The older one was, as Montoya put it, ‘Understandably pissed at how long it took to get a response after what happened two days ago’, Sir.”

Gordon looked ashamed at the reminder. “I’m sorry, Mr Wayne. Please believe that we’re doing everything we can. We _will_ catch this guy.”

“Right now I only care that my kids make it through this.” While that truly was Bruce’s main priority, he was also looking forward to seeing the man responsible behind bars. He checked his phone. His kids had checked in. Dick’s date had left after his sister and her friend joined them, claiming he was clearly distracted. Jason and Tim were giving Detective Montoya their statements. 

The dispatcher contacted Gordon again to say that Blüdhaven PD assured her they had a pair of officers en route to Red Robin. “Apparently, they realized that Richard Grayson-Wayne and their own Officer Dick Grayson are one and the same. That bumped him up the priority list. Dispatch over there said they don’t care about some rich guy in Gotham, but they take care of their own.”

Gordon responded to the dispatcher and then turned to Bruce. “That means they’ll stay on top of it.”

Bruce nodded to Gordon, but he kept his expression worried and his tone clearly frightened and frustrated. “Once they get him out of there, should I tell all my kids to come here? Would it be easier to keep them safe together? Should I send them all somewhere else? Is it possible this guy knows where they live? If he doesn’t, don’t they risk showing him if they head home now?”

Gordon listened with the patience of a man who had listened to plenty of distraught parents over the years. Still, he managed to appear sympathetic and focused. Bruce had always respected him for his compassion as much as his morality and competence. 

“It _is_ easier to keep them safe in one place and as you considered with your daughter earlier, there’s safety in numbers. I can have a pair of officers here twenty-four seven until we catch this guy. You’re right about them going home. I’d advise against it at this point, just in case they’re being watched. I can have officers get a few things from their apartments or they can ask friends to bring them whatever they need.”

Bruce had no doubt his kids would rather send someone they knew and trusted. He started sending anther text, asking Gordon another question to ensure he didn’t appear too confident about the whole situation. “Should I just tell Dick and Cassandra to leave now? Will that disrupt the kidnapper’s plan or could it put them in further danger?”

“With the officers on the way, I would recommend they stay put.” Gordon suddenly frowned. He kept his eyes on the house and inconspicuously placed his hand on his firearm as he lowered his voice. “Mr Wayne, is anyone else supposed to be in your house right now?”

Bruce blinked and moved to look, but Gordon stopped him, just as he’d expected. Instead he answered. “My Butler, Alfred, and my youngest son, Damian. My friend Clark is also here with his eleven-year-old son and their dog. I thought it would be good to have another pair of eyes around and give Damian a distraction at the same time by arranging a play-date of sorts. We also have a very large dog and a cat.”

“Is your friend a white man with dark hair and a build similar to yours?” Gordon asked. “Wearing a plaid shirt and blue jeans?”

Bruce nodded. “Yeah, that’s Clark. You might know him. He’s a reporter for The Daily Planet in Metropolis. Clark Kent?”

Gordon appeared to think for a moment, to put a face to the name. Then he relaxed his posture. “Yeah, that was him.”

“Should we head inside?” Bruce asked, gesturing toward the Manor. “If my older kids are all going to be staying a few days, I should really have Alfred start preparing their rooms.”

“Of course, Mr Wayne.” Gordon followed him into the Manor. 

“Alfred,” Bruce began speaking to his oldest ally as soon as they entered the Manor. “I’m going to try to get all the kids to stay here until this man is caught. Please make any necessary arrangements. Commissioner Gordon and I will be in my study, should you need to speak with me.”

“Certainly, Master Wayne.” Alfred headed off, not in the direction of the linen closet or the bedrooms. He was headed for the Cave, as Bruce had hoped. Seeing him with Commissioner Gordon would clue Alfred in that he wouldn't be able to check the Bat-Computer. Hopefully, it would have given them some information and Bruce had no doubt Alfred would find a way to pass it on to his children without drawing attention.

It was frustrating, not knowing how they were going to handle it. Even more frustrating to have to stop handling the situation himself for a charade to keep up appearances.

He used the frustration. To Gordon and any other officers who saw, he looked like a worried father, frustrated that his kids were still in danger when the police knew about the threat. Frustrated that for all his money and power, he couldn’t protect them.

“What about the woman who poisoned and kidnapped Jason? Have you found her?” 

“We have an image of her from the security footage at the bank. We haven’t been able to positively identify her yet. We’re still following several leads. We don’t have anything concrete yet, Mr Wayne.” Gordon sounded strained. 

Bruce could see the man was tense, frustrated. He was doing his best to remain calm, to project an image of control and comfort to a worried parent. If it were someone else, Bruce would factor in the fact that he was a very wealthy and powerful man. Most men didn’t want to look bad or disappoint when it came to someone like Bruce Wayne. He knew better with Gordon. He knew the man genuinely cared about doing his job well and keeping Gotham safe.

Gordon showed Bruce a still image on his phone. It was a young woman, walking beside Jason in the parking lot of Gotham National Bank. “Do you happen to recognize this woman?”

Bruce studied the photo, pushing aside the sudden surge of anger at the thought that she had hurt his son after he'd helped her. Bruce was good with faces, but he didn’t recognize her. He shook his head. “She doesn’t look familiar.”

For Batman, that meant he hadn’t likely had any contact with her. For Bruce Wayne, it should be expected. “I see a lot of women. Unfortunately, I don’t always remember them.” 

Gordon simply nodded. “Its quite possible she never approached you. As far as we can tell, the people hired to kidnap your children were focused on that specific child. The Mad Hatter’s head henchman was finally taken off sedation today. His jaw was severely damaged, so he can’t talk yet, but he was quite willing to write if it meant a reduced sentence. He said the Mad Hatter wasn’t given any information on you or your other children, only Timothy.

“They knew his work schedule for the day he was taken. Admittedly, the henchmen don’t know what the Mad Hatter planned to do with Timothy.” Gordon frowned. “Dressing him up for a tea party hadn’t been part of the initial kidnapping scheme. They don’t know if that meant the plan changed or if the Mad Hatter was just entertaining himself until it was time to hand Timothy over.”

Bruce frowned as well. Tetch, like so many Rogues, was pathological in his methods. Even if he truly intended to just hold Tim until the kidnapper’s next move, once he dressed the boy as Alice, it was unlikely that he’d be able to do anything other than follow through his ritual to the end. Bruce couldn’t think about that. He was definitely going to be taking a look at those files anyway. He needed to know if there was a possibility the henchman had held back any information. 

Gordon continued speaking, his tone was calm and professional, but tinted with regret. “Unfortunately, whoever is targeting you is good at covering his trail. Hiring other criminals to do his dirty work really muddied the waters. They have no incentive to work with us and we can’t take them at their word if they do decide to give us anything. There’s a lot of checks and balances involved, I’m afraid.”

Bruce understood. While it would be ideal that the police simply locate and arrest the man behind all this by the time this latest threat was over, he suspected the case wouldn’t be that easy to close. That was okay. He didn’t have to worry about checks and balances. He could sort through muddied waters. He could make criminals talk. 

He would find the man responsible and see him brought to justice. He just needed to make sure his children were all alright first. 

Alfred approached them then, caring a tray with two cups of coffee and assorted fixings. He placed it on Bruce’s desk. “I thought you might appreciate some caffeine, Master Wayne. I know you haven’t slept much since this horrible scheme began. And Commissioner Gordon, I’m sure you’ve been overly occupied as well.”

Both men thanked him, which he accepted with a polite nod. Then he turned to Bruce. “Oh, I’m afraid I mentioned the car trouble I’ve been having to Master Kent. He insisted on taking a look. I hope you don’t mind my letting him into the garage? Its just that I’m hopeless with these new cars, you know...too much technology for a man my age.”

“That’s fine, Alfred. I hope he can figure out what’s wrong. If he can’t, why don’t you let my mechanic take a look?” He smiled at his friend-slash-butler-slash-surrogate father. “We can’t have you breaking down somewhere. I don’t even know where we keep the coffee.”

Alfred could fix any of the vehicles owned by any member of the family. If he was pressed for time, one of Bruce’s kids would gladly fix whatever the man needed. Bruce knew exactly what Alfred had done. He’d gotten a location from the Bat-Computer and sent Clark to check it out. Hopefully, the kidnapper would still be there when Superman arrived. 

Bruce was glad they were making progress. But it wasn’t enough. It wouldn't be until his children were safe. Or as safe as they normally were. 

Alfred smiled and thanked him. “Oh and considering all the goings on, I thought it best to keep the boys indoors. They’re currently in the catio with my feline namesake and I believe there’s talk of video games once they wear the creature out.” 

Bruce offered a small, relived smile. “Good thinking, Alfred. Thank you. Please be sure to check in on them regularly.”

“Naturally, Master Bruce.” With that, Alfred took his leave, stating he had more work to do before the kids arrived. 

Bruce picked up his coffee, which Alfred had already prepared with cream and sugar, even though Bruce normally took it black. He immediately understood why. Instead of the traditional decorative leaf design in the foam, there was the Wayne Enterprises logo. The search had located the phone in Gotham, at Wayne Tower. Where Tim and Jason were.

He could only hope Alfred or Clark notified his sons somehow. He couldn't risk texting the information, in case the GCPD wanted to check all of his texts for the day. He couldn’t explain how he’d known the kidnapper was in Wayne Tower. He realized that meant Tim had been the target, and still was. He also realized the man who had been caught watching his second youngest wasn’t the kidnapper.

That meant it was either an all too convenient coincidence, which Bruce didn’t believe. Or the kidnapper had hired more creeps to either confuse or harm his son. Or sons. It was also too much of a coincidence that Dick would encounter such a creep on the same night this was happening. Most likely, the man after them had simply gotten his hired help that close again.

He put the coffee down as he suddenly felt sick.

“Are you alright, Mr Wayne?” Gordon sounded concerned. He looked it, too, when Bruce managed to look at him.

“Its just hitting me. My kids…” He shook his head. “I could have lost any of them. I could still lose one of them.”

Gordon’s expression turned sympathetic. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that doesn’t happen, Mr Wayne. I know how hard it is to keep a cool head when your children are involved, believe me. But situations like this are when we have to. We have to be their dad first. We have to stay strong and calm for them.”

He put a hand on Bruce’s desk and met his eyes firmly. “Can you do that, Mr Wayne?”

Bruce took a breath. He nodded. He absolutely could do that. “Yes. Thank you, Commissioner Gordon.”

Gordon nodded. “We dads have to stick together. Otherwise, our kids will drive us mad.” They shared a small smile, more a release of tension than of amusement, but Bruce found it actually helped. Gordon held up his phone. “Dispatch just texted me; Blüdhaven PD has an undercover officer in Red Robin with your kids and officers at every exit.

“Now, let’s contact the kidnapper.” Gordon sounded completely understanding when he asked, “Do you remember the question?”

Bruce picked up his phone. “I’m going to ask if my child is with their brother or sister.”

Gordon nodded. Bruce sent the text. 

The response was useless, and insulting as well. ‘ _Each of ‘your children’ is an only child. Buying a bunch of kids doesn’t make them yours, Mr Wayne._ ’

Bruce frowned. He’d rarely had anyone dare to suggest that his children were any less his for being adopted. He found that the implication infuriated him in a way few things did. Especially anything related to him personally. 

“Bastard.”

“Bastard.” Gordon agreed once he saw the response. He looked very disapproving of the message. 

The next text came before either of them could make any further comment. 

‘ _Time to guess Mr Wayne. Which child am I watching? Guess wrong and he dies. You have ten seconds._ ’

Gordon gripped Bruce’s arm. “Quick. Which would likely be considered to hurt you more? Losing your eldest son or the son who’s running your corporation?”

Losing either of them would kill Bruce, but he understood the question. Some considered their eldest son and heir to be of the utmost importance. Others would value the child who served their name and interests the best. Fortunately, Bruce already knew the answer, thanks to Alfred. He made sure not to sound quite so certain and hoped he wouldn't have to press the answer. 

“To someone like this? I’d guess Tim...”

Fortunately, Gordon nodded in agreement. “I would too.” He alerted each of his officers and told them to alert Blüdhaven PD as well. 

Bruce answered. Seconds stretched by like hours. No response came. Bruce figured the man had felt the need to flee by that point, or perhaps Clark had caught up with him. He looked at Gordon, making sure to appear even more stressed then he felt. “Why isn’t he responding? Should I text my kids?”

“Don’t do anything yet.” Gordon took out his phone and made a call. “Its Gordon; what’s going on with Wayne’s kids? We haven’t gotten a reaction from the kidnapper since he answered the question.” He was silent for a moment, listening. 

He looked relived and quickly said to Bruce, “They’re all okay, Mr Wayne.” 

Bruce hadn’t been as concerned as he knew Bruce Wayne should have been. He knew how capable his children were. He knew he would have heard something from one of his other kids or Clark if something had happened to any of them. Still, he felt some relief at the reassurance, at the certainty it provided, and he let it show. He thanked Gordon. 

Gordon acknowledge the relief -he looked relieved himself- and turned his attention back to his officer. “Good. Tell the Blüdhaven PD I understand they want to take care of their own, but I’d appreciate it if they’d let my officers listen in when they question the perp. If he _was_ hired by our guy, we need to know anything he can tell us. Try to be cordial about it though. I’d like to handle this without having to bring in the feds; they never know how to handle Gotham.”

He listened to the response of whoever he was on the phone with before turning his attention back to Bruce. “Blüdhaven PD arrested the man at Red Robin. They can hold him for two days before they have to either charge him or release him. He recently was released on bail and is awaiting trial for another crime. So even if they can’t charge him for anything he did tonight, he isn’t going far.” 

Gordon's attention suddenly returned to his phone and he frowned, confused but not unhappy. “ _Superman_? What’s _he_ doing here? Did he talk to anyone?” 

He released a breath and shook his head. “Red Hood, Black Bat, Batman, Superboy, and now Superman… I think this guy might have shot himself in the foot when he decided to hire Rogues to do his dirty work.”

Gordon placed his free hand on his hip and lowered his head, thinking and looking disappointed. 

“Well keep looking, canvas the whole block. Talk to Timothy Wayne, see about getting a copy of Wayne Enterprises’ security footage for the last twenty-four hours. The other buildings in the area have to have some sort of security too, see what you can get. Our guy can’t have gotten far. Then get the Waynes out of there; tell them their father wants them to come here. I want eyes on them the whole way.”

Bruce knew the kidnapper had gotten away before Gordon said anything. He didn’t blame the Commissioner, but he was disappointed. Still, he was determined that they would find this guy. They would learn more after this. They would be that much closer.

He didn’t bother trying to look like he had such composure though. He needed to look worried, even angry. He just thought of the fact that this man had gotten so close to his children again and he found it easily enough to express those emotions. 

“Can my children come home now? Is this over? Did you get him?”

“Yes, your children can come home now.” Gordon began with the good news, addressing the most pressing concern, his children. That was smart. Bruce respected his tact. “An officer will be escorting Timothy and Jason here soon. Blüdhaven PD is still speaking with Dick, but they should be released within the hour and I’ll have an officer waiting to escort him and Cassandra here.”

Gordon’s expression and tone were genuinely remorseful but determined when he continued. “We don’t have anyone in custody yet. We’re still looking for him. It looks like the presence of additional security at Wayne Enterprises, along with my officers and the added presence of both Red Hood and Superman, caused him to flee the scene. He can’t have gotten far.”

“ _Superman_ was involved?” Bruce wondered how he ever caught his children lying or withholding information with how good they all had to be at feigning surprise and ignorance. “Who _is_ this guy? Should I just send my children out of the city for a while? Or even the country?”

Gordon considered the suggestion briefly and then explained his response calmly. “The Rogues this man hired weren’t all Gotham locals. That said, Gotham has the most experience dealing with these types of characters, so I think your children are safer here. If you send them somewhere and this man finds them, it might take longer to get local authorities to act or to understand what they’re dealing with. Of course its up to you, but father to father and Gothamite to Gothamite, I’d stand my ground here if I were you.”

Bruce pretended to consider the information. He hadn’t actually been planning on sending his children anywhere because, like Gordon, he knew Gotham was the best place to handle this problem. After a pause, he nodded. “You’re right. Thank you.” 

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m usually more composed than this, but these are my children...even though more than half of them are adults I-” Bruce shook his head, his expression showing that it didn’t matter. He still needed to protect them. That was entirely true. 

“I understand completely, Mr Wayne.” Gordon’s statement was also completely true. “You never have to apologize for worrying about your kids. Not to me.”

He waited for Bruce to nod and accept the reassurance before addressing his other questions. “Superman arrived shortly before the deadline. He appeared to be scanning the building, but he hasn’t spoken to anyone about what he was looking for or why he was in Gotham. Superboy was the one to prevent your son, Damian, from being kidnapped two days ago. Batman, Back Bat, and Red Hood have also gotten involved. I think the caliber of criminal involved has brought more attention onto the man threatening you than he expected.”

“That’s good then, isn’t it? Its possible they might scare him off?” Or they might push him to act sooner, grow reckless. That could make it easier to catch him, but it could also make him a bigger threat to his children. Bruce had seen the damage one of these lunatics could do when they were desperate or felt cornered. He didn’t want it to come to that. 

Gordon clearly didn’t want it to come to that either. He’d worked in Gotham, worked in the police force, long enough to know the odds as well as Bruce did. Of course, he didn’t know that Bruce shared that knowledge. As such, the Commissioner looked concerned on how to address the question. Clearly he didn’t want to scare the other man, but he also didn’t want to give a false sense of security that could endanger his family. 

“It could, but its difficult to say how this man will respond to that kind of pressure at this point. We don’t know enough about him to gauge his reaction. We also don’t know for certain that the involvement of these heroes was about him, and he might not think it was. Red Hood is known for taking down perps who target children. Black Bat stopping an escaped convict from stalking a young woman isn’t out of character for her either. 

“We don’t know exactly why Superman was here tonight. Superboy likely just heard a couple of boys in distress and responded. Batman...well, he’s likely on the case, but there are still plenty of people who aren’t sure he actually exists. Our guy might be one of them. Its best to stay cautious at this point.”

While he would never be glad for a situation that put his children in this type of danger, Bruce did like the opportunity to see how Gordon worked from this angle. He was even more impressed with the other man than before. He nodded in response to his words. “Of course...its better to be safe than sorry. I’ll remind my kids of that when they get here.”

Gordon made several more calls as he made sure all his people were doing what they were supposed to. He told Bruce he’d be staying to speak to Tim and Jason and then heading out to the scene himself. Bruce knew the other man would rather be out there already. However, the district attorney and mayor would be all over him if he sent a lower level officer to speak to someone like Bruce Wayne. He appreciated that Gordon wasn’t the type of man to take any frustration he felt about that out on others, especially the victims of the case he was working. 

Alfred came in again to inform Bruce that Damian and Jon were playing in the family den and that he’d prepared rooms for the others. Alfred always had rooms prepared for each of Bruce’s kids, in case any or all of them should ever need to stay there. The comment was really just to account for his time while he’d left Bruce and Gordon alone. 

Clark came in not long after, wiping motor oil off his hands and dressed as he was when Gordon arrived. Bruce filled him in as if they were both just a pair of normal, worried fathers. Clark was visibly glad to hear his friend’s children were all alright and surprised to hear about Superman's involvement. “You know, we get some strange sorts in Metropolis too. Could this guy be from there? Maybe Superman followed him here?”

“It sounds like just about anything’s possible at this point.” Bruce acknowledged. He still wasn’t hiding his frustration. 

“Yeah. Including the kidnapper disappearing into thin air, apparently.” Clark’s expression darkened a bit on that. Bruce understood. He hadn’t seen anyone out of place. Hadn’t caught anyone fleeing the scene. The kidnapper had virtually vanished. 

Bruce nodded. He needed to ask Clark what, if anything, he had seen. He turned to Gordon with a questioning look. The man covered his phone and looked at him patiently. “Yes, Mr Wayne?”

“If you don’t need anything right now, I’d like to go check on my youngest. Make sure he knows everyone else is alright. See how he’s doing with all of this. You know how it goes.”

“Of course, yes. Take your time.”

“Feel free to remain in the office as long as you need. Call for Alfred if you need anything.” He waved off Gordon’s thanks and motioned for Clark to follow him into the hallway as Gordon turned his attention back to his phone. 

They waited until they were far enough away not to be heard before Bruce shot Clark a questioning look. “Anything?”

Clark sighed and shook his head. “Alfred told me the caller was in Wayne Tower. He gave me a tablet with company IDs of any employees that might be in the building and of several former employees who left on less than mutual terms. I didn’t see anyone who shouldn’t be in the building.”

Bruce was glad Tim had arranged for the place to be stripped and repainted after he’d taken over as CEO. The offices and labs sections of the building were all lead-free now, so Clark had been able to just fly around the building and look in, rather than have to go through every floor from the inside. He wondered if the remodel had truly been an attempt to help clean up Gotham, as Tim had stated, or if the boy had intentionally cleared some of the lead out for just such an occasion. Wayne Enterprises had paid for several government buildings and skyscrapers to be stripped and repainted as well. He hoped he remembered to ask Tim, later, when this was all over. 

Meanwhile, Clark continued explaining. “No one around the building looked suspicious either. I just floated and listened for a while, and still, nothing sounded out of place. I’m sorry, Bruce. He must have gotten away already.”

Bruce was about to tell his friend not to be sorry. He’d stayed to look after Bruce’s youngest son and had gone to protect his second youngest. That was enough. However, his mind caught on something his friend had said. “What if he _was_ supposed to be in the building?” 

They had been focused on business rivals and malcontent former employees. On aspiring businesses and self-entitled entrepreneurs. No one checked on any of the current employees. They had all passed extensive background checks when they were hired and higher level employees had to pass annual medical and psychological evaluations. That didn’t mean it was impossible. After all, Bruce, Tim, and Jason passed them without any issues. 

“You think it might be an employee?” Clark sighed. “I admit, I didn’t consider that. You and Tim take such good care of your employees, its hard to imagine one of them doing something like this...”

“Never underestimate the greedy or insane, Clark.” Bruce looked at his friend. “Do you still have that tablet?”

“I left it on your workbench.” That meant it was in the Cave. 

“Could you do me one more favor?” Bruce knew as he asked that it was pointless to check. Clark was already nodding. “Go through it and mark anyone you remember being in the building while you were looking tonight.” He would have Tim cross-reference it to see if anyone stood out. He’d ask if any of them had been acting strange or weren’t due to be in that evening.

While Clark did that, Bruce went to go check in on Damian. He was in the den, playing a video game with Jon while their dogs rested. Alfred had kept him informed and assured him that his siblings were okay. The boy acted as though he hadn’t been worried, but Jon insisted that he had been. Despite Damian’s dismissal, claiming his friend was blinded by sentiment and projecting his own feelings onto him, Bruce believed Jon. Damian showed too many telltale signs on relief upon hearing his father say the others were alright. 

Still, he left it without pushing. He didn’t want to embarrass or upset his youngest. With one more reminder that they were to stay in unless told otherwise by an adult, Bruce left the boys to their game. 

Alfred met Bruce in the hall, to inform him that the officers escorting Jason and Tim were checking in with their security at the gates. 

Bruce felt more relief than he’d expected when he saw his sons enter shortly after. He gripped each of their shoulders and looked them over. “Are you two alright?”

“We’re fine.” Tim glanced at Jason, who was holding an ice pack against the knuckles of his right hand. “Well, Jason punched a wall, but otherwise we’re fine.”

Jason shot a small glare at his little brother. “First a guy dresses you up to play tea party and now some pervert jacks off while watching you work; how are you _not_ punching things?”

Tim shrugged. “Not my method. I tend to just bury myself in work until I can deal with it.”

“Yeah, we need therapy. Maybe we can get a family discount.” Jason turned from Tim to Bruce. “The cops filled us in on Dick and Cass. The brat still here?”

Bruce gave his second eldest a look that part admonishment, part appreciation. “Damian is fine. I just checked on him upstairs. He’s with Jon in the family den.” 

Jason nodded, looking relieved that everyone was accounted for. “Good.”

“Do we know anything about the guy they arrested in Blüdhaven?” Tim asked immediately after. 

Bruce filled his sons in on what Gordon had told him. He was going to tell them what Clark had said, but then Gordon arrived. He asked them some questions, and offered to send officers to their apartment to get anything they might want. Both boys assured him that they would just send a friend. Gordon was informed that Tim had already instructed the security at Wayne Enterprises to cooperate with him fully, which he thanked the boy for.

Tim also mentioned a reported glitch in the security system that night. “Its already been reset and its working correctly now, but we haven’t located the cause yet. It could be unrelated, minor disruptions like this aren’t all that unusual. It also could have been due to one of the heroes out there tonight.” He bit his lip after the seemingly nervous babbling. “I just thought it was worth mentioning.” 

“It certainly is. Thank you, Timothy.” Gordon nodded to Jason and then to Bruce. “Jason, Mr Wayne, thank you for your cooperation. Please call me if you hear from this man again or if you or your family thinks of anything else.” With their assurance, he headed out to continue leading the search for their suspect. 

As soon as the Commissioner was in his car, Tim pulled out his phone and started texting. Any hint of nerves or residual fear were gone from his voice. “I’m going to tell Con I’m alright. Is it okay if I ask him to bring Dex here? 

“And do you mind if I use the Bat-Computer.?” He glanced at Bruce and explained. “I snuck a photo of the creep who was watching me -made it look like I was taking a selfie. Cass sent me one of the creep who was watching Dick, too. I want to see what I can dig up on them.”

Bruce wondered if his own switch from Bruce Wayne to Batman was that jarring. He recovered immediately though. “Of course. Check with Clark to see if any of the employees working tonight seem out of place while you’re at it. He’ll fill you in. Let me know what you find.”

He recalled the first question his second youngest had asked. “And of course you can bring your cat here.” Sometimes he wondered why Tim seemed to assume the allowances Bruce applied to his other children might not apply to him. 

He knew he showed some level of favoritism for Dick, he couldn’t help it. Dick had been the child that made Bruce realize he wanted children and that he could have them. Damian required a lot more hands on attention than any of the others. Cassandra rarely needed as much guidance as her brothers, so the time Bruce spent with her was different. Bruce was constantly trying to repair his relationship with Jason. He was also constantly trying, in his own way, to make up for failing him. 

Tim just didn’t need that kind of work. Or Bruce never thought he did. He knew it wasn’t the time to worry about that. They had enough concerns to focus on. 

Tim simply thanked him as he left the room, heading for the Cave, already focused on the task at hand. Bruce had the fleeting thought that it was no wonder the boy seemed to fall between the cracks so often. He never appeared to consider that his father might be thinking of him. He remained completely focused on solving the problem his family was facing. Just like Bruce had taught him. 

It wasn’t the time to worry about that either. 

Bruce turned to Jason, who held up a finger to motion for him to wait. He had his phone against his ear with the other hand. 

“Hey, Biz. Can you do me a favor…?” Jason listened for a brief moment and then grinned. “Thanks, big guy. I need you to fly to Blüdhaven PD and listen in on an interrogation that’s about to happen. Just listen though, and watch if you want, but don’t interfere.” 

He listened briefly again and then explained. “No, I appreciate it, but we want to catch this asshole by surprise.” He listened again and then nodded, even though his friend couldn't see him. “Yeah, he’s probably involved and we need to see if he can point us to whoever’s behind this." He smirked as he listened. "Exactly; the mastermind.”

He thanked his friend again, ended the call, and then started texting. When Jason noticed Bruce was still waiting, he explained. “I’m asking Timbers to send Bizarro the photo so he knows who he’s spying on. I know you can just break into the police department later or Tim can hack it without anyone being the wiser, but this is faster and I want to nail this asshole.”

Bruce was quietly proud at the way his kids were on top of the situation. At the way they’d all known exactly what to do. At the way Jason and Cassandra had immediately gone to their brothers’ sides when they knew they needed backup. At the way Dick and Tim had remained calm and in control during the whole situation. 

“Good thinking.” Bruce asked the only thing he’d wondered about that night, besides the identity of the man targeting him though his kids. “How did you ensure your identity was safe while you were dealing with the man watching Tim?”

“I entered Wayne Tower through the front doors. Said ‘hi’ to Connie and Ellie on the way past reception. Texted Tim from inside the elevator -we have our own codes for this sort of thing- and then climbed out of the elevator. I slipped out of the building mostly sticking to the blind spots in the cameras. Then I changed in the blind spot in the alleyway and headed for the room Tim indicated in his text.” 

Jason made a gesture as if to indicate that Bruce should know what happened then. “After I was done with the piece of shit, I hid my stuff in my bike and made my way to the terrace outside of Tim’s office, where he was waiting. He’d already retrieved my phone and handled the security cameras in the building. He also used my phone to text you at the same time he called the cops, so it looks like we were both standing there, watching the Red Hood. We waited for the cops, and I rode my bike back here with our police escort.

“If anyone checks the security footage, there’ll be a minor glitch after I’m in the elevator -Tim set a loop so they’ll see me riding it up afterwards- then a longer one from when Tim reaches it to greet me, to when I actually got there. Security contacted him about it, since they were on alert, and he instructed them to reset the system. As far as they can tell, that fixed the problem.” He shrugged. “Like Timbers said, it happens sometimes, so no one thought much of it, other than bad timing.” 

Jason lifted his bruised hand. “Tim noticed my fist was bruising from when I punched the perv’s face in, so I hit a wall to explain it. Montoya completely understood my frustration ‘cause she’s just awesome like that. Or maybe it’s a Latin thing.” He shrugged. “Either way; we’re good.”

That explained what Tim had told Gordon about a security glitch as well as the ice pack. Bruce nodded. “Sounds like you boys covered everything. Good job.”

“Well, we aren’t exactly new to this.” Jason sighed. “Shit, I just realized I don’t have any clothes here.” Each of his siblings had a few things stored at the Manor, just in case. Bruce had asked Alfred to put away Jason's things after he died, but none of the clothes would fit the young man anymore and he hadn’t brought anything new over.

“I’m sure Conner won’t mind grabbing something when he’s getting Dex.” Bruce smiled at his son. “You’re also welcome to borrow something of mine.”

“I think I’ll just do that. Thanks.” Jason started heading toward the kitchen. “I’m gonna grab something to eat. You want anything?”

“Please. Just make more of whatever you end of making for yourself.” He assumed Alfred made something for Damian and Jon, at least. However, he hadn’t checked due to everything that was going on. “Wait, I should make sure Damian and Jon have eaten first-”

Jason waved it off and kept walking. “I’ll just make enough for everyone. If they aren’t hungry, there’ll be leftovers tomorrow.”

Clark joined Bruce as Jason left. He gave a small, impressed head shake as he approached. “Are you sure Tim isn’t some sort of metahuman? I can pick out a single voice from halfway across the city, but I can’t follow all the information he’s just breezing through. He tried to explain exactly what he was doing and at least half of it went right over my head.”

Bruce made no attempt to hide his proud grin at the statement. “No, he’s just a gifted human. There are still plenty of those around, you know.”

Clark smiled and nodded to conceded the point. “Several of which will be sleeping here tonight, I hear.”

“Looks like.” Bruce was actually happy to have each of his kids home for the night. “And it also looks like Conner will be stopping by later with Tim’s cat and Bizarro is running reconnaissance for Jason. You’re all welcome to stay the night, of course.” He gestured in the direction his second eldest had gone. “Jason’s making dinner.”

Clark perked up at the last comment. Each of the Waynes and each of the Kents loved Alfred deeply, but they all agreed that cooking was his only weak point. Somehow, everything he made tended to run bland. Jason, on the other hand, could make anything taste good and full of flavor. The presentation was never even close to Alfred’s, but the taste always made up for that. 

“We’ll definitely be staying for dinner then. I’ll text Lois to let her know not to expect us. We’ll see how the kids feel about staying afterwards.” Clark looked at his friend earnestly. “Unless you _want_ us to stay?”

Bruce considered that. His family would still be feeling the effects of having two members threated this way for a while, not to mention the kidnapping attempts from two days before. His kids might appreciate having their friends around or they might want to keep their nerves to themselves. With the whole family under the same roof, his children would be safe either way. They could and would take care of each other. He didn’t have strong feelings about the Kents staying or not.

“Its entirely up to you.” Bruce answered. 

Clark looked at him for a moment, as though trying to gauge whether he was just being tough or polite. Finally, he seemed to decide to take him at his word. He nodded. 

They ended up joining their youngest sons in the den and playing a few games until Alfred came in to inform them that dinner was ready. Meanwhile, Jason went to retrieve Tim from the Batcave. Conner and Bizarro arrived with Dex and a few things from Tim and Jason’s apartment just as they were sitting down. Conner and Tim left to set up Dex before dinner while the others all sat at the table.

Bizarro informed them that he and Conner had gone to Blüdhaven together and then stopped by Tim and Jason’s place on the way back. He reported that Dick and Cassandra had finished up with the Blüdhaven PD and were on their way to Gotham, escorted by two GCPD officers Gordon had sent along. He also confirmed that the man watching Dick had been hired to keep an eye on him. “Creepy man had picture. Creepy man get money. Creepy man watch Blue Him.”

Jason nodded, satisfied with the information. “And he didn’t know the identity of the guy who hired him?” Bizarro shook his head. “I figured as much. Thanks, Biz.”

“Red Him am hurt creepy man?”

“Probably.” Jason answered, unbothered. “Sooner or later.”

“Jason.” Bruce couldn’t say that was inappropriate to feel that way. He couldn't say he didn’t understand how his son felt. 

Instead, he nodded toward the main reason he didn’t want Jason talking about revenge at the table. “Not in front of the boys.” His youngest son frowned at him. Jon didn’t seem to find the statement unusual in the least. Jason just nodded. 

Tim and Conner joined them then. Everyone complimented Jason on the food and then Conner and Bizarro filled in some details on the interrogation of the man who had been watching Dick. 

“The police called him Samson. I don’t know if he was really hired.” Conner frowned. “He said someone did him a favor and then sent him a newspaper clipping with Dick’s photo. They wrote on it the time and location to be at the restaurant if he wanted to see Dick in person. He said he was intrigued.”

“Creep want Blue Him.” Bizarro added.

Tim wasn’t eating much. He looked slightly disturbed. “That fits with what I’ve found so far.”

Before Bruce could respond, Jason jerked his head up in an encouraging gesture. “Hit us with it, Timbers.”

“His name is Josh Samson. He was in jail until yesterday, awaiting trial on multiple charges of aggravated assault and sexual assault. A new non-profit that claims it’s dedicated to ensuring criminals are given fair and respectable treatment at trial, paid his bail.” Tim was definitely skeptical of the non-profit. 

Bruce was willing to bet his second youngest had found something on them that made him skeptical. But there was still more to learn about Josh Samson and why he’d been sent after Dick. He was sure Tim would fill them in on the non-profit later.

“The security footage outside Blüdhaven PD shows Samson getting into a town-car with a shopping bag waiting for him inside. The collar of the shirt sticking out matches the one he was wearing when he was watching Dick.” Tim frowned at the reminder of the man watching his eldest brother. “There was also an unmarked envelope. As the car is driving away, he takes out some cash and what looks like a newspaper clipping.” 

“So he likely never saw the man behind this.” Bruce considered that. The timing suggested it was a backup plan that the kidnapper already had prepared in case the initial kidnapping scheme didn’t pan out. However, it didn’t make any sense to just send someone to watch Dick, other than to throw the cops off his scent. “The kidnapper just pointed him at Dick.”

It was as curious as the fact that he’d never received any ransom demands when Dick was kidnapped before. Even the texts that day hadn’t been demanding money. The man had simply wanted to torment Bruce as he threatened his children again. Whatever the man had against Bruce Wayne, he wasn’t just after his money. He wanted him to suffer. 

He looked at Tim. “Any idea why?”

“The charges against him.” Tim was clearly in report mode now. He wasn’t making any effort to try to eat anymore. “His victims were all wealthy, young men in excellent physical condition.”

That was a step closer toward making Bruce suffer. “Like Dick.”

Tim nodded. “They’re each described by others as being kind, carefree, and full of life.”

“Also like Dick.” Jason commented. He was still eating. 

“They’re each also considered incredibly attractive and friendly.”

“So Dick fit his victim profile to a T.” Bruce didn’t like the implication. Once Samson was directed toward Dick, he would have likely felt compelled to do to him what he did to those other young men. If his family wasn’t who they were, his son probably would have joined the man’s list of victims. “What did he do to his other victims?”

“He met them at a bar or restaurant and started a conversation. Apparently Samson’s charming.” Tim sounded like he found that hard to believe. “Since the guys are friendly, they stick around to enjoy the conversation. Then it turns to more. He seduces them, takes them to a hotel room he has set up-”

“Excuse me, Tim.” Clark interrupted. He turned to his youngest son. “Jon, why don’t you and Damian eat in the kitchen?” 

Damian immediately glared at the man. “Why would _I_ retire to the kitchen?”

Meanwhile, Jon protested with considerably less attitude. “I can handle it, Dad.”

Clark’s voice was firm, but kind, loving. “I don’t want you to hear where I think this is going. Your mother wouldn’t want you to either. Please, son, just do as I ask.”

Jon sighed. “Okay. But if you decide to take down the bad guy after this, I want to help.”

The youngest Kent took his plate and stood. Alfred stood as well. “Why don’t I join you? When we’ve finished, we can make some cookies to thank Master Jason for making such a lovely meal.” That definitely seemed to perk Jon up. Clark gave the man a look of gratitude, which Alfred answered with a single nod.

Damian, however, hadn’t moved from his chair. 

Bruce looked at his youngest. His voice was more firm and less warm than Clark’s, but that was just who he was. His children had learned that it didn’t come from a place of uncaring. “Damian, go with Alfred and your friend.”

The boy glared. “Why should I? Do you think I am unaware of what the charges Drake already stated mean? I’ve stopped assaults and rapes in the streets, with you and with Dick. Simply hearing about this man’s crimes isn’t going to bother me. We aren’t even at the Bat-Computer for him to show any images.”

“Still, you’re being rude to your friend and disrespectful to Clark. And to me. This isn’t a nameless victim. We’re going to be discussing what this man wanted to do to your brother and I’d rather you weren’t here for it. Now go. I’ll fill you in later if I feel you need to know anything.” 

His youngest still glared. Bruce simply looked at him, unperturbed. He waited until his son took a breath to argue, but the attitude he’d been prepared to address never came. 

Because Jason spoke instead, looking directly at his youngest brother. “Remember what we talked about, kiddo. _Pick your battles_. You already know the gist of what we’re about to discuss, so is this one really worth it? Do you _want_ to hear the details that badly?”

That gave Damian pause. Which allowed Tim to speak up next.

“Besides, which do you think Dick would rather come home to tonight; a brother who’s upset at the thought of what might have happened to him? Because no matter how tough you are, we all know Dick will be able to tell.” Damian had looked about to argue at the suggestion that he’d appear upset until Tim added that part. Then he remained silent and looked thoughtful. “Or would he rather come home to his favorite brother, who’s just happy to see him?”

Damian looked like he was considering that. He still put on an air of superiority as he picked up his plate and glass. “Fine. If it means so much to everyone that I retire to the kitchen, then I shall.” As he headed toward the kitchen door, he added, “I expect someone to inform me when Richard and Cassandra arrive.”

Both Jason and Tim called out to him, “We will.”

Conner shook his head after Damian had left. He looked at Tim. “Man, I don’t know how you put up with him.”

“He’s my brother.” Tim replied simply. “Wait ‘till Jon hits puberty and then tell me there aren’t times when you have to hold back from just kicking his ass.” 

His friend nodded, smiling slightly. It fell from his face when Tim returned to his report. 

Bruce noticed his second youngest mostly addressed him and Jason, but occasionally looked at Conner, Clark, and Bizarro to include them. 

“Samson waits until things are pretty hot and heavy, then he gets them to let him tie them up. They think its a game, until they can’t get away. Then, the charm and anything resembling consent goes out the window. He rapes them, he beats them, he mutilates them.” Tim looked disturbed again. “He leaves them permanently disfigured, not to mention what the trauma does to them. 

“The photos of them afterwards...even after corrective surgery…” Tim shook his head slowly. His gaze was distant. Bruce could tell he was looking over the images in his mind again. Seeing the cruelty of Samson’s crimes. “Their friends might not even recognize them. 

“They definitely don’t recognize their personalities. They aren’t friendly, carefree, or full of life anymore. He breaks them, completely.” Tim’s focus returned to Bruce. “They’ve had four victims come forward so far, each identified Samson. Three of them had biological evidence to back it.

“Blüdhaven PD thinks there might be more victims though. They’ve been called into other hotel rooms, where the maid service noticed something wrong. They found evidence that someone had been hurt, and they match Samson’s MO, but they couldn’t find enough evidence to connect the scenes to anyone.” Tim sighed. “It looks like the DA was hoping he’d be wiling to take a plea once he saw how much evidence they have against him. He’s hoping they’ll be able to get him to admit to others.”

It was a practical concern. Even if they didn't find evidence, if he’d gotten away with it that many times, there was no reason to assume he hadn’t gotten away with more. Blüdhaven saw a lot of wealthy, young tourist. They might have gone home, ashamed, frightened, and disfigured. Bruce had seen plenty of victims who were too afraid or too embarrassed to come forward after the crime. 

Tim took a breath. He didn’t say anything more. Jason watched him closely. “What else?”

Tim looked at his big brother, then glanced at Conner. He took another breath and didn’t look at either of them again. “The non-profit that paid for Samson’s bail paid for the town-car and clothes as well. They also paid for a new attorney to look at the cases of a few condemned criminals. One of them is a man named Jim Monroe.

“He’d been in prison for over a year, but they arranged to have his verdict overthrown after finding a protocol error. They paid for clothes and a cab for him as well. He’s the man Jason took care of earlier, the one who was watching me. This non-profit was only made a few months ago. These are the only men they’ve worked with, and no one has met the man who actually started it, but he hand picked the criminals they freed.”

“And both came after one of you?” Clark frowned. He turned to Bruce. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

Bruce agreed, but he wanted to wait for Tim to continue before making any remarks. 

“Everything was paid for in cash, or money-orders, or paypal. It’s attached to an email address that’s as useful as the phone he used to text you today. The name of the lease of the building they work out of is a fake.” Tim frowned, bothered by the lack of evidence. “I’m still tracking the business license. Hopefully, we’ll get something out of it.”

It was all good information. It gave them a better idea of who they were dealing with. Bruce appreciated all of it. He would use all of it. But he still noticed there was something Tim had glossed over. 

“What was Jim Monroe serving time for? What kind of criminal is he?” Bruce looked at his second youngest. He doubted Tim simply forgot to mention any of that. “You didn’t say.”  


“He was serving multiple sentences for murder, kidnapping, and aggravated sexual assault against a minor. He’s an ephebophile and a sadist.” Tim shook his head, looking sad. “They had evidence of over half a dozen boys he’s killed and he claims there’s more they’ll never find. But he was released because of a protocol error.”

“Wait, back up.” Conner was frowning as well. “What’s an ephebophile?”

“Its an adult that's attracted to adolescents. Usually compulsively so.” Bruce didn’t like where this was going already, but he figured he might as well make sure they were all on the same page. 

When Conner didn’t look like that was quite enough and Bizarro still looked completely confused, Clark explained. “Like a pedophile, only instead of targeting prepubescent children, they target children who are in puberty.”

“Children like Tim.” Jason looked murderous. 

Conner looked disgusted. “Sick freak.”

Bizarro was frowning. “Creep bad-touch Little Red?”

“No, he didn’t. It looks like he might have wanted to.” Clark explained. He looked upset as well, but was focusing on his sons to make sure they were okay. 

Bruce looked at his second youngest. He suspected the boy was holding back more for his brother and friends than his own upset. “Tell us about his victims, Tim. His MO.” He needed to know. If the boys matched Tim the way Samson’s victims matched Dick, then they were dealing with a different sort of criminal than they’d realized. 

Tim took a breath. “They were all between twelve and fifteen.”

Jason’s hands curled into fists on either side of the plate he wasn’t paying any attention to any more. Bruce understood. Most people put Tim in the twelve to fourteen range if they were only going by appearances. 

“They were all on the small side of average, with fine features. I guess you’d call them pretty. They each had dark hair and fair skin.”

“So they looked like you?” Conner’s expression was dark. So was Jason’s. Bruce might have looked calm, but he was angry. Tim’s friend was completely right. 

Tim didn’t comment on that. “They were all described as good kids. Bright; focused; considerate; undemanding; good students. Never got into any big trouble. Some considered them quiet, said they lived in their heads. They were all generally well liked and appeared to have good futures ahead of them.”

Bruce nodded. He took a brief moment to make sure he didn’t growl out his reply. “So you fit his victim profile to a T. Just as Dick fit Samson’s.”

Clearly, the kidnapper hired these men not just to watch and creep out Bruce’s sons, but because he knew there was a good chance they would target his sons. They both would likely trigger the men’s compulsions. This definitely wasn’t a kidnapping scheme. This man wanted to hurt Bruce through his kids. He wanted his children to suffer, so Bruce would suffer as well. 

The worst part was that Bruce had no idea who he was. He couldn’t think of anyone with a legitimate reason to hate him that much, which meant reason was likely out the equation. Once you removed any quantifiable motive, like money or a legitimate grievance, virtually anyone could be a suspect. That meant Bruce had nothing. His children were under threat of being tortured, mutilated, or murdered, and he had nothing. 

It was infuriating. 

“I should have broken his neck instead of his hand.” Jason looked and sounded as angry as Bruce felt. “And don’t anyone tell me shit about all life having value or not crossing lines. This sick fuck has been torturing and killing kids.”

“They have evidence against him, Jay.” Tim was the only one to try to soothe his big brother’s ire. Bruce thought it was fitting, since he suspected Jason was as upset about the risk to his little brother as he was about the children who had been killed. “He’s probably going to be in the hospital until they’re ready to arrest him again. They had to remove his testicles after the damage they received tonight and he isn’t going to have full mobility in his right hand ever again. No matter how this plays out, you saved a lot of kids tonight.”

That wasn’t the best way to look at it. Bruce got that Tim was trying to help Jason see that he hadn’t failed by not permanently stopping Monroe. He understood why Jason had wanted to harm Monroe that night, but it didn’t excuse the excessive violence. “That may be true, but your response was still excessive, Jason.” He looked at his second eldest, he could see his son was ready to fight him. He didn’t want to fight with him, he just needed to make him understand. 

“Did you know anything about his crimes when you inflicted those injuries on him? Did he fight back with enough skill or force to make you have to take such measures to stop him? Or were you still upset about what happened two days ago? Did you take your fear and anger out on a man who might have been a simple peeping tom? Did you permanently injure a man that you knew next to nothing about?” 

Bruce shook his head. “I understand your anger Jason. I understand wanting revenge when a loved one is hurt or threatened. But who were you serving by breaking that man’s hand and crushing his genitals? Society? His victims? Or yourself?”

“I’ve already told you that I don’t think I need to explain myself to you every time you think I crossed a line.” Jason’s tone was challenging, his eyes were hard. He glanced at Tim. Then looked at Bruce again. “But since it might be relevant and since Tim deserves to know, I’ll tell you what happened.

“I admit, I planned on hurting the creep as soon as I heard he was masturbating while watching my little brother. I wasn’t planning on doing any permanent harm, just enough to make him think twice the next time he considered doing something like that in view of a kid. Just to make him think that it wasn’t worth it to escalate, because ‘a simple peeping tom’ usually does.” Jason glared slightly as he used his father’s words. “I didn’t break through the window and start kicking his ass. We needed to figure out if he was actually the guy behind all our kidnappings, remember?

“We needed to find out if he was the guy threatening to murder one of my brothers tonight.” Jason glanced at Tim again, as if ensuring his little brother was still there and still alright, before turning a hard look onto his father again. “I found the supplies he’d brought along. Saw photos of Tim; ones I don’t know how the creep got a hold of and ones he’d edited from those. At that point, it didn’t matter who he was, because he obviously wasn’t just planning on watching and touching himself.”

Jason’s expression grew darker as he thought of what he’d seen. Conner’s expression darkened too and grew more concerned. Bizarro was sharing his friend's ire as well. Clark was clearly disturbed and concerned, but was mostly keeping an eye on his sons and on Tim. Tim was watching Jason with concern and understanding. His eyes were upset but he wasn’t allowing it to show in his expression yet.

Bruce knew Jason was going to tell him what he’d found. Maybe not in great detail, especially in front of Tim and the Kents. But he would make sure his point was clear. Bruce already knew whatever Jason had found explained his violence toward Monroe. His second eldest was too bothered by it, and growing up on the streets of Gotham meant that Jason had a much higher tolerance for fetishes and what most would call deranged behavior than most. If they were just talking about photos of Tim’s face attached to a nude model, along with a few standard or risqué sex toys, Jason wouldn’t be reacting this way. 

“He had a printed map that would lead him straight to Tim’s parking space, which that late, Tim would be going to alone. He had supplies to subdue him, to bind him, to _hurt_ him, and then to dispose of him. He’d clearly been fantasizing about just _how much_ he could do to him before he killed him. That’s what most of the photo edits were. He actually _mapped out_ how he was going to draw out Tim’s suffering for _days_ without killing him. ”

Clark quietly moved to sit beside Conner. The young Kryptonian had bent one of Bruce’s silver butter knives in half in his fist. His face was dark, disturbed beyond what he’d been prepared for. Clark took the knife out of his hand and wrapped an arm around his son. Conner raised one hand to hold his father’s on his own shoulder, accepting the comfort. 

Jason glanced at Tim again. His little brother gave the smallest nod, indicating it was okay to go on. His friend was comforted and he himself could take it. Even if his icy blue eyes were damp with sorrow for all the kids who hadn’t been as fortunate as himself. Jason glanced at Bizarro as well. His friend looked angry and confused but apparently not so much that Jason felt the need to stop. 

Jason turned back to his father, looking as if he were challenging him to continue arguing that he’d gone too far. “You know as well as I do, that takes experience. There was no way this guy hadn’t practiced by torturing other kids. And there was no way he was going to apply the skill he’d picked up from doing that on my little brother. I made sure of it. Even if the cops couldn’t hold him because he was _just_ watching and fantasizing when they got there.” 

Unfortunately, Bruce did know the kind of experience it took to plan something like what Jason described. He also knew that, while Gordon and plenty of other detectives would know Monroe was a threat, proving he’d broken a law would be hard. If they hadn’t already been preparing to try him again, masturbating in a private room wouldn’t be enough to hold him. He was too high up for public indecency to stick. Especially when he had a good lawyer. 

It was the hardest part of their work as vigilantes. It was why Bruce had become as much of a detective as he was a fighter, why his children became detectives as well. The law couldn’t touch any of these criminals without evidence. If they didn’t have that, then figuring out how to proceed was difficult. It could be very tempting to just teach some of these guys a lesson themselves. 

The problem was, that road didn’t lead them anywhere good. It didn’t lead to justice. It didn’t lead to peace. It didn’t lead anywhere Bruce wanted Jason to wind up. 

That was what his second eldest never understood. Drawing a line wasn’t to protect the criminals, not mainly. It was to protect _themselves_. From their own darkness and conscience as well as from the police and retaliation. What they were doing was illegal, but as long as it was also just, Gordon and most of his detectives would look the other way. What they were doing could be counted as right or wrong, depending on an individual’s morals. 

Bruce needed Jason to re-evaluate his morals before he went too far. Before he stopped being a good person. Before he got himself arrested or killed. Before he did something truly unforgivable. “Did you know he would survive this time?”

“I tossed him one of the wires he had planned to use on Tim.” Jason waited, taking in the shudder Bruce just managed to suppress before continuing. Bruce realized his son was testing him as much as he was testing his child. “Told him to tie a tourniquet. Hard to do with one good hand, but not impossible, and the cops were already on the way. 

“Plus, I knew Tim would keep an eye on me and call for an EMT. So yeah, I knew the asshole would live. But my main focus was getting back to Tim to make sure _he_ would live, if that hadn’t been the only asshole threatening him.” Jason’s gaze became chilling. “You have your priorities, I have mine.”

Bruce glared slightly at the last comment. “That isn’t fair, Jason. What’s more, its inaccurate. It has nothing to do with why I’m asking you this. I am _not_ prioritizing the life of a child murdering ephebophile over your brother’s. I’m prioritizing _you_.

“I’m putting my concern for your well being and your freedom over a quick fix. I’m trying to ensure that your actions don’t bring the GCPD down on all of us. I’m trying to ensure your siblings still have you to look out for them for many years to come. I’m trying to ensure you remain the type of person they _want_ to have their backs in the future. I’m trying to ensure that _you_ have a future.” 

He took a breath and tried to remove some of the force from his tone. He wanted to get the point across to his second son. He’d learned already that Jason needed explanations. That he misinterpreted actions and silence too easily. He couldn’t force Jason to understand, he had to help him get to a place where he could. 

“I know this is hard for you, Jason, but there’s a lot more to defending family than vengeance. Being there for someone who was hurt can be more important than hurting whoever harmed them to begin with.” He gestured toward Tim. “Which do you think your brother would prefer, you in the room with him, waiting to find out if someone’s going to try to kill him together? Or you in a squad car being taken down to Blackgate while he has to deal with that and the threat against him on his own? Which would _you_ rather he have?”

“He was there for me tonight and two nights ago with the Mad Hatter.” Tim interrupted, his voice firmer than it normally was when he addressed Bruce. “He was there for me after the Joker. He was there for me after you came back. Don’t use his attachment to me to make your point, Bruce. If you can’t come up with an argument to convince him without playing on his emotions then you need to change your argument.”

Bruce hadn’t expected that. “You’re saying you’re okay with this?”

Tim looked at his father as if he were being deliberately obtuse. “I’m saying you need to rethink your _argument_ , _not_ your morals. I disagree with killing and excessive force too. But I don’t think you can change Jason’s perspective if you don’t understand it. You were doing well, but then you opted for the easy out. _Don’t_.”

Bruce thought back on what he’d said. He had started by explaining his reasoning. But then, he’d switched to scare tactics. Those didn’t work on his children and he should have known it. He nodded to Tim. “You’re right.”

He turned back to Jason. “My concern is for _you_ , not the criminals you feel like I’m defending. Monroe was going back to prison, one way or another. With what you saw and what he was doing, Neither myself nor Gordon would have stopped until we found something the GCPD could use to arrest him. Yes, that might have taken longer, but I would never be willing to sacrifice _you_ for a quick fix. 

“Between Tim’s skills and the fact that you had his back, Monroe was never a real threat to him. I’m as angry as you are that he’s hurt and killed so many children. I’m as angry as you are that he targeted one of _my_ children. I’m as angry as you are that two of my children were threatened tonight. But you and your siblings are worth more to me than any criminal or any case ever will be. Do you understand now, Jason?”

Jason looked like he’d been caught off-guard by his father again. He’d looked much the same two days ago when Bruce had told him he understood why he’d reacted to the Mad Hatter as he did. And even more so after Bruce told him how valuable he was. Apparently, learning that his father had such strong feelings was a shock for him. A quick glance showed that Tim was also surprised by their father’s words. Bruce didn’t like what that said about his parenting skills thus far. 

He sighed. He kept his gaze on his second eldest. “Remember our talk a couple days ago? After you shot Tetch? You are worth more than this. You would be wasted if you simply killed criminals until the police took you down. 

“That doesn’t mean the criminals you target aren’t scum who deserve to be put away or even to die. It only means that _you_ are worth _more_. To the world, and especially, to _me_.” Bruce looked from Jason, who looked equally touched and shocked, to Tim, who looked both proud and surprised. 

Before he turned back to Jason, Clark caught his eye. He looked proud. He mouthed ‘good job’. He still had an arm around his own son, who also looked shocked at hearing Batman speak that way. Even Bizarro looked shocked. 

Bruce knew he tended to keep things close to the vest, but he hadn’t thought his children, his best friend, and his best friend’s children would react so strongly to him simply expressing his feelings for his son. 

“You’re worth more to me, too.” Tim commented quietly. His voice seemed to pull Jason out of his stunned stillness. The two boys looked at each other for a moment. 

Then Jason turned back to Bruce. He threw his hands up in a questioning gesture. “The fuck didn’t you tell me all this shit from the start, B? Do you have any idea how fucking hard it is to get a read on you?”

“I do. I’m beginning to see why that’s a problem. At least, where you kids are concerned.” Bruce really didn’t care about anyone else being able to read or understand him. In fact, it worked in his favor if most others couldn’t. 

Jason took a breath. He was clearly trying to make sense of this new information. “So, you _aren’t_ bothered that I shot the Mad Hatter or broke Monroe’s balls because you think it was too much for _them_? You don’t think _they_ deserve better, but that its somehow beneath _me_?” His second eldest sounded completely baffled by the concept. 

“I _do_ value all life.” Bruce needed to make sure they were clear on that too, since it wasn’t going to change. “But _yes_ , I think its beneath you to just go around shooting people -even bad people- like a common thug. You’re a skilled, intelligent, hardworking, and goodhearted young man. You don’t need to crawl down to their level to stop people like Tetch or Monroe.”

Jason arched a brow. “You do remember where you found me, right?”

“It doesn’t matter where you came from, Jason. It only matters what you are now.” He held his son’s gaze. “And what you are now is someone with the potential to make a huge difference on this city and beyond. _If_ you don’t throw your life away for revenge.”

Again, his second eldest looked touched and stunned. He also looked like he really heard what his father had said. Bruce was glad. He hoped Jason could come to understand that he came down hard on him because he saw the value in him. He hoped his son would come to see that Bruce not seeking revenge for him wasn’t a sign of uncaring. He hoped his son would come to realize how much his father loved him. 

Everyone at the table was silent for a long moment. 

Then, Tim’s phone gave some sort of alert and the boy frowned and stood as soon as he saw it. “That non-profit paid Samson’s bail again. He’s being released.” He started heading for the Batcave. “I’m going to see if I can track the money back to a source.” 

Jason pulled his phone out. “I’m gonna make sure Dick and Cass know and get their ETA.”

“I’m gonna go with Tim.” Conner gave his father’s hand a slight squeeze and then let go as he stood. He went after his best friend, looking determined if a little shell-shocked. 

Bizarro turned to Jason. “Me am watch Creep?”

Jason shook his head, still looking at his phone. “Nah, don’t worry about it, Biz. Dick and Cass are already well on their way and Samson’s looking at big trouble if he leaves Blüdhaven. Any one of us is way out of Samson’s league anyway. The guy who hired him thought Dick was just another happy, carefree, worthless rich kid. We know better.”

Bizarro nodded. He seemed to be torn between watching Jason and looking toward the kitchen. Jason noticed and grinned. “You want to go help Alfred and the twerps? Alfred’s cookie baking skills are definitely worth trying to learn.”

Bizarro eagerly headed to the kitchen. Clark smiled at Jason. “You’re very good with him. Thank you.” He looked after his adopted son, or perhaps he was watching him and the others through the wall. “I’m glad he has a friend like you.”

He looked at Jason. His gaze was warm, friendly. “You know, we’d all hate to lose you.”

“I know.” Jason sighed. “I’m trying. Its just hard sometimes. Some of these guys are so awful, and it can feel like a never ending cycle of us putting them away and them coming right back. Sometimes, I just want everyone to be done with one of them.”

“I know it doesn’t seem like it, but we’ve all felt that way at least once.” Clark’s tone was gentle. “The thing that got us though it every time was each other. You’re young, its got to be harder for you, but you have a good support system available to you. Use it.”

Jason nodded and huffed out a breath. Then he looked at Clark again with a small smirk. “So sometimes you just wanna break out the heat vision on Luthor?”

Clark gave a weak chuckle. “Yes.” He looked at him pointedly but somehow didn’t lose any of his warmth. “But I don’t. Instead, I talk to your dad, or Lois, or Diana, or my folks, and then I find a better way.”

“They keep you grounded?” Jason asked. Clark nodded.

“And Clark has done the same for me.” Bruce pointed out. “So has Alfred, and Dick, Tim, Dinah, and Kate.” He offered his son a small smile. “No matter what it looks like from the outside, no one can do everything we do alone. Not completely.”

He stood. “Speaking of which, I’m going to go see if Tim found anything.”

“I’ll come too.” Jason stood and followed his father. 

Clark started grabbing plates from the table. “I’m going to give Alfred a hand wrangling the kids. Jon and Damian are trying to juggle eggs like Dick does with no success and Bizarro keeps sneaking chocolate chips when Alfred turns away.”

Bruce thanked Clark. Then he and Jason headed down to the Batcave.

Tim had eight different monitors going at once. Conner was standing beside him. While Tim worked and his best friend appeared to stand guard, the two were having a quiet discussion. 

“I could have flown here in _minutes_. Next time you’re in a situation that prevents you from acting, just call me. You’d do the same for me. I don’t know why you always feel like you have to do everything alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. Jay was there. I’m-” Tim’s voice grew louder as he somehow heard his father and brother approaching. “Hey Jay, Bruce. I think I’ve got something.”

He explained as he sorted through some of the information he’d gathered already. “The money is coming from Wayne Enterprises, but the non-profit isn’t on our books. Neither Lucius or I ever approved any funds to be diverted to it. I’ve noticed some money missing here and there, but that’s fairly normal and it was never a large sum, so I just left it for accounting and security to figure out. Clark said you thought it might be an employee. Looks like you were right.”

Bruce frowned at the evidence Tim was displaying. Sure enough, it looked like whoever was behind all the torment his family had gone through the past two days was using his money to fund it. He looked at Tim. “Cut them off.”

“I already did.” Tim looked at him. “Should we report it?”

Between the fact that they’d used the Bat-Computer and the fact that it was Tim who’d found the link, Bruce was certain there was no evidence that they’d found it. “No. We’re handling this ourselves.”

Tim nodded. Jason looked approving. Bruce noticed that one of the monitors had the list of employees Clark had been using. “Have you found anyone that shouldn’t have been in tonight?”

“A few people weren’t scheduled to be in, but their positions are such that it isn’t unusual for them to stay late once in a while. Three of them could match Ivy’s description. They were each alternating between using their phones and computers, but only one was positioned so that I could see what he was typing. So I’ve only been able to narrow down who might have been in touch with you to two.”

“Who are the two?” Jason asked. Since he’d started working at Wayne Enterprises, he was able to recognize several employees. He didn’t work with as many people as Tim, but he’d heard about many of them from his little brother and coworker. If he had any suggestions, Bruce was happy to hear them. 

“Gonzales and Womack.” Tim pulled up two employee files and some security footage of the two men. The men were close in age, build, and coloring. “Both are on the board. Either of them could have slipped in the non-profit and funneled money into it without drawing too much attention. Both are single, no children, no notable debts, no grievances against the company.”

Bruce’s second youngest glanced at him. “Do either of them jump out at you? Any arguments or disagreements in the past?”

Bruce recognized both of the men from being on the board. He couldn’t recall having any meaningful conversations with either, let alone an argument or disagreement. “No. Nothing that stands out against any other employee.”

“Gonzales is the guy who brings in cupcakes if a meeting lands on someone's birthday, right?” Jason looked at Tim, who nodded. “When I told you he seemed almost _too_ nice, you said he had his flaws. What are they?”

“Well, he did get in trouble once for looking up gun paraphernalia on a company computer-” Tim stopped the others from reacting. “But he’s a collector. He used to hunt with his father as a child. I checked his record again, he’s never gotten into any trouble. He always keeps his licenses up to date, registers all his weapons, and he mostly seems to shoot at the range at the country club.

“Mostly, his problem has been that he’s too flirtatious. He’s never gotten physical, or made any graphic comments, but some of the employees don’t appreciate it. The more vocal complaints have come from male employees, but that could just be because the women are more accustomed to it. Nothing has escalated. When I asked him after it, he said it was just his nature. A few other board members who are friends of his confirmed, saying he just flirts with everyone.”

“Has he ever flirted with you?” Considering the nature of both men who were hired to go after Tim, Bruce wouldn’t rule out that he could actually be the kidnapper’s target. If Gonzales had been turned down by the teenager, it might have triggered this. 

“Not that I’ve ever noticed.” Tim seemed to think for a moment. “He’s talked to me a little, at work functions and while we’re waiting for meetings to start, but nothing that seems more than casual conversation.”

Bruce nodded. Tim was notoriously terrible at telling when he was being flirted with. Most had to get pretty overt, to the point where they were hitting on him more than flirting with him, for him to acknowledge it. Bruce looked at Jason and raised his brows questioningly. If someone had been flirting with his little brother around him, Jason would definitely notice. 

Jason shook his head. Then he turned back to Tim. “Womack is the one who gives you the creeps sometimes.” Even though he didn’t phrase it as a question, Tim nodded. 

That was the first time Bruce had heard of it. “What do you mean he gives you the creeps?” None of his kids were easy to creep out. 

Conner had apparently caught that too. He crossed his arms and looked at Tim with a frown. “What does he do?”

“It isn’t anything he’s said or done wrong. Its just-” Tim took a breath and frowned. It looked like he wasn’t quite sure how to phrase whatever he was thinking. “There’s something about him. I’m on alert whenever he’s in the same room as me.”

That was telling. His kids were always aware of their surroundings but not necessarily upset by them. Tim could have grown more sensitive after his recent run in with the Joker, but Bruce was sure Tim would have mentioned it if this had started after that event. The most likely explanation was that there was something about Womack Tim had subconsciously picked up on, but hadn’t had any reason to consciously explore it yet.

“Sorry, I know that isn’t really helpful. Its just something about the way he looks at me. Its too-” Tim made a gesture as if turning something slightly off kilter. “Its almost...predatory. Not overtly threatening, but too focused, like he’s looking for weaknesses.”

Tim frowned. “Of course, several members of the board weren’t thrilled about a teenager taking over. He could just have a problem with me being his boss. He could be looking for an excuse to claim I’m unfit.” He looked over the two employee files again as he spoke. “I’m just going to access their computers.”

There was no programing or protocol that made the CEO of Wayne Enterprises able to access a member of the board’s computer. Which meant Tim was just going to hack into them. Normally, his son tended to wait until he had more to go on before doing something that invasive, but one of the men in question had likely threatened his entire family. Bruce couldn’t fault him for cutting a corner in this instance.

Tim, having apparently accessed one of his employees computers already, started scrolling through files. He tended to do so quickly, so it wasn’t easy for a bystander to keep up with the flow of information. But Bruce wasn’t any bystander and he could recognize one of his children anywhere, even if only seeing them for a fraction of a second. 

“Tim hold on, what were those photos?”

“The last company picnic.” Tim answered as he went back to the photos. He scrolled through them slower. While he was featured in a few of them, so were many other employees. Bruce was about to tell him to continue as he was, but Jason stepped closer to the monitors.

“Wait, go back two.” He frowned, and practically growled, when his little brother complied. “That’s one of the photos Monroe had. There’s another,” he added when Tim continued moving through the images. He looked at Tim. “Find out if Womack put these online anywhere.”

Tim nodded and ran a few scans. One of the photos featuring Tim speaking to Lucius and another board member came up on one of the other monitors. It looked like a Chirper page. “One yes, the other, no.”

Jason glared. “Then how would Monroe have gotten it?”

“Hang on, let me make sure his computer wasn’t compromised before I broke in.” Tim looked doubtful even as he checked it out. They had very tight security on all the computers and company phones at Wayne Enterprises. It wasn’t impossible for someone to crack it, as Tim had already demonstrated, but the person would have to be incredibly skilled to do so. Being able to crack their security without setting off any type of alert was next to impossible. Tim had even asked Barbara to try and send him some notes after he’d set it up. 

No one was surprised when Tim ruled that he was the only person who’d broken into Womack’s files.

By that point, Bruce was glaring as well. “What else do we know about Womack?”

Tim was continuing to scroll through the man’s computer -now even faster- as he answered. The information he was giving seemed to be things he’d already memorized. “He’s been on the board for ten years. Worked for Wayne Enterprises for twenty-six years total. Forty-seven years old. Divorced with no children.

“Homeowner. Yacht owner. Member of the country club and the caribou lodge. Does the usual charity donations, nothing on your level. Owns a vacation house in Maui. Pays his taxes but isn’t entirely honest on them.

“And has apparently been funneling funds out of Wayne Enterprises as part of an unapproved charity that doesn’t exist. Each ‘donation’ adds up to the amount I’d noticed missing. Some of it winds up in his account.” Tim appeared to be in the Gotham National Bank computers when Bruce looked at the monitors again. “The rest goes to another charity. And that’s where the money for the non-profit that got Samson and Monroe out came from.”

“Where do I find him?” Bruce was already moving to get suited up. 

“The GCPD checked his ID and cleared him when they were canvassing Wayne Tower. He clocked out right afterwards. Give me a minute to locate his phone.” About twenty seconds later, Tim called out an address while Bruce was putting on the Batsuit. 

“Good work. Tim, start putting everything together for Gordon. I want him to be able to nail this guy as soon as I hand him over.” As Bruce walked back to the Bat-Computer a moment later, he noticed Jason was just finishing suiting up as well. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going with you.” His second eldest’s tone left no room for argument. 

Bruce and Jason didn’t work together often, and never just the two of them. He wasn’t opposed to it, but he needed to make sure they were on the same page. They couldn't risk giving anything away or potentially letting Womack go because they got into it while they were trying to bring him in. “You understand that we’re only asking him questions and handing him over to Gordon? No excessive force. We can’t afford to give his lawyers anything to use to get him off or reduce his charges.”

Jason had his helmet on, so Bruce couldn’t see his expression, but his tone was definitely annoyed. “Me and Timbers stop as many crimes on a weekly basis as you and Damian do. I don’t kill or permanently disable every jerk I come across. I doubt some board member, upper-crust piece of crap is going to give us a reason to seriously hurt him.”

Bruce wasn’t so sure. “Even if he explains why he sent these criminals after your siblings? Even if he says he knew exactly what they would do if they got them? Even if he talks about _wanting_ them to get a hold of Tim and Dick?”

Jason was silent for a moment. “I’m gonna assume shooting him in the knee is out?”

“Yes.” Bruce honestly wasn’t sure how serious his son was being at the moment. “No excessive force. If we turn him in with a confession, it won’t hold up in court if they say he only gave it because Red Hood shot him in the knee.”

Jason sighed. Tim patted his arm. 

Bruce’s voice was firm, as usual, but he made sure to keep it his voice and not the Batman’s growly baritone. “Our family might not be the only one he’s hurt, Jason. Any other victims that might be out there deserve justice too. They won’t get it if he dies quietly in an ally or gets let go for something we did wrong during his capture. They’ll get it when he goes to trial and they see him held accountable for his actions.”

His second eldest was quiet for a few seconds, as though thinking. It was hard to tell what exactly was going through his mind with the helmet on, but his body was tense and he was placing just the slightest more weight on the leg closer to his little brother. Bruce realized he was torn. He wanted to bring Womack to justice but he also wanted to be completely certain that his family was safe.

“Jason, I promise you, Womack will face justice. We know who he is now. We know where to find him. Gordon will hold him with all the evidence Tim is going to drop off and the recording we’re going to give him after we make Womack talk. Wayne Enterprises will not be supporting him in this and will be pressing charges against him for the theft identified by Red Robin. If he finds some way to worm out of this, he’ll have nothing and we’ll find him again.”

“We’ll do it your way for now.” Jason agreed. “But if he manages to worm his way out of this, he’s taking a bullet to the knee. _Both_ of them.”

Bruce was sure they would have Womack dead to rights by the end of the evening and even if he found a loophole to get released, they could address it before Jason did anything extreme then. At least he wasn’t talking about killing Womack yet. 

“I’ll take the front of the building. You take the back. We don’t move in on Womack until he’s leaving. We don’t want to draw too much attention. If you get him, tell me.” This time, Bruce didn’t bother keeping his voice from dropping. “I have some questions I expect him to answer.”

Jason gave a small nod. “Deal.”

Bruce turned toward Conner. “Ask your father to stay and keep an eye on Damian for me. At least until Dick and Cassandra arrive.”

Tim’s friend looked at him like he was crazy. “We aren’t going anywhere until this freak is behind bars. Dad already agreed.” He tilted his head toward Tim, who was already putting together an evidence file for Gordon. “I’m gonna stick with Tim.”

It was a relief, to know his family wouldn't be alone. Even if they could handle themselves, they’d had some close calls over the past couple of days that Bruce would rather avoid having another. 

Tim gave a small wave over his shoulder before Jason turned to head to his bike. “Call me if you need backup.”

His brother answered calmly. “Always do.”

The building Tim had located Womack in was an old manor at the edge of town. It had been turned into a gentleman's club some years before. Bruce waited on top of the building, watching the front. Jason was somewhere atop one of the nearby buildings, watching the back. Bruce heard his son’s voice in his ear after they took their positions. 

“So do you think this is business or personal?”

It had been a while since Bruce had a parter who just talked while they waited. He found he missed that a little. “Probably a bit of both. Members of the board tend to feel like they have a certain claim to the business, even if it isn’t there. It can be easy for them to feel entitled to more than they actually are or to feel slighted if they don’t get their way.”

“So its business he took personally.” Jason summarized. 

“Yes.”

“A guy like Womack would have bitched about it.” It sounded like his son was thinking aloud. “He’d assume others agreed with him.”

That was true. “Most likely.” 

“Little Red?” Jason’s tone was conversational and Bruce wasn't sure what he meant by that. 

Before he could ask, he heard Tim’s voice over the comm. 

“Womack would have been the most likely candidate to take over as CEO of Wayne Enterprises if Lucius Fox didn’t accept a permanent position after filling in for Bruce Wayne for a while. In fact, most of the board expected Wayne to retire after his sabbatical following the arrival of his biological child, and they expected Fox to step aside. Instead, Wayne appointed one of his adopted children,Tim Wayne, as CEO. With Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne falling into place just below him in the chain of command, the board found itself with a lot less power. Womack was no longer in the running. 

“The board members weren’t thrilled about working for a teenager at first, but most came around after seeing Tim Wayne could actually do the job. Womack wasn’t one of them. Several of the personal messages he’s sent other employees to date continue to show a notable level of hostility toward Bruce Wayne and, especially, Tim Wayne.”

“He thought he was slighted and he blamed the kid.” Jason sounded angry. “Asshole.”

“Focus, Hood.” Bruce understood the anger, but they needed to remain calm and alert so they could catch this man. 

Ten minutes passed. Bruce took note of everyone he saw enter or exit the building. It was always good to know who was associated with such places. Who was possibly in league with another. Still, his focus was on Womack. 

“Got him.” Jason spoke over the comms. “He’s heading South from the rear exit. Looks like he’s heading to the street. What’s he drive?”

Tim answered immediately, telling them the make and model of the vehicle Womack drove most often, as well as naming two others. Jason quickly located a vehicle matching one of the cars on the street Womack was heading towards. Tim checked the DMV and read off the license plate numbers, which Jason confirmed. 

“I’m going to get ahead of him.” Bruce could tell Jason was already moving. “Bring the Batmobile.”

Bruce started making his way South as well, he summoned the Batmobile. Jason was holding Womack at gunpoint when Bruce got there. He hoped his son didn’t have lethal ammunition in them, but he wasn’t going to call his bluff in front of Womack if he wasn’t. 

“I think there’s been a mistake. Do you know who I am?” Womack sounded like a self-entitled businessman who was irritated that the police had dared to stop him for breaking a ‘minor’ law. 

“I know exactly who you are. The question is, do you know who _I_ am? I’m the guy who’s taken out your hired help twice now.” Jason released the safety on his guns. “I’m the guy who’s two seconds away from turning you into a stain on the sidewalk. I’m the guy you don’t want to piss off any more than you already have.”

Bruce glided above their heads and landed silently behind Womack. “Mr Womack.”

The man startled and turned. Then he actually looked relieved. “Batman. Thank God, this villain just came out of nowhere and-”

The Batmobile was about to reach them. Bruce didn’t care what Womack thought he could say to get out of this. “I have some questions.”

Womack frowned. “What?”

Bruce grabbed him and threw into the Batmobile as it arrived. Then he triggered it to release an aerosol sedative, knocking the man out. He looked at Jason. “Meet me at the clock tower.” Then he hopped in the Batmobile and drove off.

Womack had nowhere to go when he came to, on the roof of the clock tower, just him and Batman.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” Womack took in his surroundings. He was starting to sound frightened in the way of someone who knew they’d been caught out became when faced with the Batman. 

“Mr Womack, you arranged for Bruce Wayne’s children to be kidnapped two days ago. Why?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Womack stammered. “I mean, of course I _heard_ about the Wayne kid being taken from work. And something about Superboy or Superman stopping the petulant one from being taken, but that’s all I know. I don’t know anything about the Waynes' personal affairs.”

Bruce thought it was pretty rich for a man who sent the worst types of criminals after children just because he felt he’d been slighted to call his youngest child ‘petulant’, even if the word was normally applicable to Damian. 

“You stole and laundered money from Wayne Enterprises and used it to release two violent criminals back onto the streets.” 

The blood visibly drained from Womack’s face. “You can’t prove that.”

“I can. I can also prove you intentionally directed those criminals at Wayne’s children.”

The vein on Womack’s neck twitched as his heart-rate sped up immediately. “As I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But if these criminals are as bad you say, then who’s to say they needed anyone to point them to their victims? Don’t these types normally have a specific sort of victim they target?” 

“They do. And that’s why you chose them. Because once they encountered Wayne’s children, they would target them.”

Womack’s eyes narrowed. “Even if they were pointed toward Wayne’s children, is pointing someone out illegal? If these men did anything to Wayne’s sons, they’re the ones that need to be held accountable. Not someone who paid bail or gave them money for a room or dinner at a mediocre restaurant.”

“I never mentioned bail or a restaurant.” Bruce pointed out. “I never told you the gender of the criminals or the children they targeted.”

Sweat broke out on Womack’s brow. 

Red Hood walked up behind him. “So, what'd I miss?”

Womack started at his voice. He looked from Red Hood to Batman. “You’re working with him?!”

“No shit. I have a bat on my chest, jackass.” Jason made sure his tone was pitched to make Womack feel as foolish and degraded as possible. Apparently, he’d decided if he couldn't punch the man’s face in then he’d give his ego a beating. 

Womack looked infuriated. He turned to Batman again and pointed at Red Hood. “He’s a killer!”

“You aren’t exactly innocent yourself there, dipshit.” Jason’s body language was such that he might as well have been a brick wall. “As we speak, my partner is bringing evidence to GCPD that proves you’re a thief, a conman, and that you colluded with multiple criminals, including some pretty big names like Jarvis Tetch and Philo Zeiss. The press is going to be all over this. Wonder what they’ll call you?”

Womack’s eyes widened. “No, I- I’ve never met either of those men.”

“Not in person, but you left a nice money trail for us to tie the pieces together.” Jason tilted his head. “Thanks for that.”

Womack turned to Batman again, apparently thinking he would be more ‘reasonable’. “I just gave money to a charity. I can’t be held responsible for what they did with it.”

“You gave money you stole to a non-profit you created to hire criminals to do your dirty work. You know what, I’m already sick of this.” Jason turned his head to look at Bruce. “Are you gonna ask anything or can I start doing this my way?” He punched the inside of his hand to punctuate the statement. 

“We already know what you did, Mr Womack.” The man’s spine straightened when he heard Batman growl out those words. “What I want to know is, why? 

“Why target Wayne? You were successfully siphoning money from his company. You were living comfortably. You don’t have anything to gain from him losing his family. If he let his company go due to grief, you’d lose everything. So why go after his children?” 

Womack was nervous but he said nothing. He was still clearly looking for a way out. A way to make all this go away. 

Bruce realized he needed to try changing his tactic. Jason had gotten a stronger reaction from Womack when he attacked his pride. According to Tim, the likely motive behind this was that the man felt his pride was wounded when Tim took over Wayne Enterprises.

“Wayne’s company has been good to you. Wayne’s been a good employer. He’s never done you any harm-”

“Never done me any harm?! Do you know how that man insulted me? I was close to running the place and he overlooked me for a _child_! I’ve worked there since before he was old enough to actually run the place. The board was doing wonderfully and then Wayne decides he suddenly wants to be hands on with the company, starts making these radical changes. Then, when he finally decides to step down, he puts some slip of a boy in charge?!

“I have never been so humiliated!”

Bruce ignored the fact that it had been Lucius who was close to running Wayne Enterprises when Tim had to take over. He’d finally struck the right chord. He finally had Womack talking. He’d been recording since the man regained consciousness. If he confessed, Gordon would know everything. Know everywhere to look for further evidence. 

So would Bruce. 

“So this was all about revenge?”

“It was about _restitution_. With that whelp out of the way, and Wayne too distraught over his precious Grayson to meddle, I could have done great things with Wayne Enterprises. I could have made a fortune! I could have gotten the respect and recognition I deserve!”

“I dunno...” Jason commented. “You managed to kidnap zero out of five Waynes for ransom. You didn’t hire a single minion who could stay on script. Not much of a mastermind, are you?”

“It wasn’t for ransom, you fool! The Rogues were _meant_ to go off script. Then when they covered their tracks, they’d be covering mine too.” He turned and snarled at Jason.

“Only _you_ had to go and interrupt the only one who was doing exactly as I planned! Tim Wayne would have been out of the way! Bruce Wayne would be devastated by nearly losing his family. He’d devote all his time to his remaining children. Everything would have been perfect!”

“Perfect?” Bruce’s voice dropped low, quiet, hostile. “You stole money from a man, and then used it to send Rogues to prey upon his children. You traumatized multiple people -multiple _children_. Onomatopoeia nearly killed one of Damian Wayne’s friends. Jason Todd-Wayne was poisoned and thrown in the trunk of a car.

“The man you sent to watch Richard Grayson-Wayne would have raped and mutilated him if given half the chance. Both the men you chose to set upon Tim Wayne would have done worse. You arranged for a child to be tortured before being killed. All because you felt _slighted_?”

Womack looked furious. “Do you know what it feels like to be degraded and humiliated? To have insult added to injury? I do. I doubt Wayne does. So I wanted his child CEO to be tormented and debased before he was killed!

“I wanted Wayne to _know it_. I wanted him to be _humiliated_ by it. I wanted him to think about it when he’s trying to go to sleep at night. Then, he’d know how _I_ felt when he decided to put his company in the hands of a fucking child instead of the board, like he should have!”

When Gordon had been shot a few years before, Batman and Nightwing were stopping some criminals in clown guises. When Bruce heard the news report while dealing with a laughing, violent criminal, he’d felt a type of numb, all-encompassing anger he’d never felt before. He remembered seeing his hands around the criminals neck, but not feeling it. He knew he’d hit Dick when his son pulled him off the man, but he couldn’t actually remember it.

He’d made it point never to lose control like that again. He couldn’t afford to. He didn’t want to be the reason a criminal walked free. He didn’t want to scare one of his children again. He was determined that he would never strike out at one of them again.

But hearing Womack say he _wanted_ Bruce’s children to suffer, that he’d wanted Dick to be left permanently scarred and Tim to be terrified and humiliated before being murdered, he felt that anger again. 

His fist collided with Womack’s face before he was even consciously aware of making the decision to hit him. He demanded to know what else the man had done. He was pretty sure he heard Jason cheer him on. 

His fist struck Womack, who was still going on about being better than some kid and getting his due. This time he hit him in the stomach. He demanded to know how the man had gotten in contact with the Rogues.

“Uh, Batman?”

His fist struck again. Womack was crying. He started trying to bargain. 

“Batman, What’re you…?”

His fist truck again. 

Womack started talking about a man he’d met at the same gentleman’s club they’d picked him up from. He said the man used to work for the Penguin and knew how to find people in the supervillain community. He’d used more of Wayne’s funds to hire the man to get him touch with Rogues that would fit his plan. He needed four that would take and hold the Waynes, torment them a little, but not do any serious harm. He needed one that would make a child’s nightmares come true before killing him. 

His fist struck again. 

“Batman!”

Womack gave them the name of the man. He told them how to find him. He told them where he had stashed the rest of the money. He told them where Samson was supposed to be staying after he’d paid his latest bail. He promised to cooperate with the authorities.

His fist struck again.

“ _Dad_.”

He stopped immediately. He turned to look at Jason. The helmet still blocked his son’s face, but his body was tense, ready to move. His tone was deceptively light, turning to the dark humor he fell on when he was frightened or disappointed. 

“Not that I don’t get this -in fact, I’ve never felt closer to you- but you either have to stop now or we have to kill him. I’m game either way, but only if you’re fully aware of what you’re doing. _Do you_ know what you’re doing?”

Bruce turned back to Womack. He was crying and bleeding from his mouth and nose. As soon as Bruce released him, he fell to the ground, curling around himself to try to block any more blows. 

Jason spoke into their comm. “Little Red, can you cut my voice from the last few seconds of the audio Batman just recorded?”

“Yeah.” Tim sounded confused. “Why w-”

Jason interrupted. “No time. I’ll explain later. Just get it done and get it all to Gordon. We’re gonna be dropping off Womack in a couple minutes.”

Jason grabbed Womack by the collar, lifted him into a sitting position as he knelt, putting them face-to-helmet. He cocked a gun and held it under the man’s chin. The man started whimpering. 

“Shut up.” Jason's voice was like hard-forged steel. “The _only_ reason I haven’t killed you already is because he asked me not to and I owe him one.” He tilted his head toward Batman as though to indicate who he was referring to. “If you don’t want me coming to visit you in prison, you’re gonna do something for me. Got it?”

“Y-yes. I-I already said I’d cooperate-”

“No, that’s what you’re doing for _him_. For _me_ , you’re gonna tell everyone that _I’m_ the one who did this to you. You’re gonna tell them the Batman stopped me and then you told him you’d cooperate if he protected you. Understand?”

Womack sounded woozy and frightened. “Yes. I swear, just- just don’t hurt me a-anymore...”

Jason shot the man with the tranquilizer round in his gun. After he dropped him on the roof, he turned to Bruce. “Are you done with whatever the fuck that was?” 

Bruce nodded. “You didn’t have to take the blame-”

Jason interrupted him. “Yeah, I did. Batman means too much to too many people here for word to get around that he’s losing it. Those who want vengeance have already got Red Hood. The rest need Batman.” 

He motioned toward Womack. “Are you good to drop him off? Or do you need me to do it?”

“I’ll do it.” Bruce took a breath. He hadn’t meant to go that far. He hated that he’d lost control. “Thank you. For stopping me.”

Jason release a laugh that didn’t sound very amused. “Yeah. Consider it an early birthday present.” He released a breath. “I’ve never seen you like that.” He sounded somewhere between awed and worried.

“Its only happened twice before. The last time, I scared Dick...and I struck him when he tried to pull me off the thief I was strangling.” He shook his head, ashamed and chagrined. “I never wanted to lose myself like that again. I’m sorry you had to see it.”

Jason shrugged. “Not like I don’t know a thing or two about losing it. I get it. He hurt us. I went batshit on a guy for hurting my little brother. You went batshit on the guy who hurt your kids.”

They were quiet for a moment. Just when Bruce was going to pick up Womack, Jason spoke again. “I guess that’s what you meant, when you said we’re too much alike.”

“It is.” Bruce grabbed his son’s shoulder. “I also meant it when I said you’re worth more than this. Just because I share the same flaw doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to fight it.”

“No, I get it now.” Jason looked at Womack. “It _was_ kinda scary, seeing you like that.” He motioned where he was, at Bruce’s side. “This is usually where Little Red is...I don’t ever want to scare him. These guys aren’t worth that.”

Bruce felt equally proud and ashamed. He was glad Jason had learned that lesson. Glad his son was thinking of his family, of his future. He was also ashamed that he’d frightened another of his children by losing control in front of them. 

Bruce patted Jason's shoulder, since he wouldn’t be able to give it a squeeze through the armor. 

“What was the first time?” Jason asked without any warning. 

Bruce had expected it. “The Joker. After he took my son from me.”

“You never told me.” Jason's voice sounded a little tight. 

“I told you I almost lost my mind and my soul. I told you why I couldn’t cross that line. That I knew I wasn’t that good of a person...but not a bad enough person to tarnish my son’s memory by using it as an excuse to hurt people. I told you the reason your little brother stepped in was because he wanted to save me from becoming a monster.” Bruce shook his head. “I thought that was telling enough.”

Jason released a small groan, like he was going to admit something he didn’t want to. “To be fair...I haven’t really given you much of a chance to talk about it, since I’ve been sane again. Its just...difficult.”

“Have you talked to anyone about it?” Bruce knew he wasn’t the best candidate to speak the value of talking things through, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to see his son do better.

Jason nodded. “Little Red. And Oracle’s made it clear she’s around if I want to talk to her. I’m okay. Just a little rough around the edges.”

Bruce grinned at his son. “You always were. Maybe you don’t need to smooth them out as much as I push you to. Just...try to know where to draw your line. Don’t slip up like I did tonight. You’re-”

“ _Worth more_.” Jason finished with him. He nodded. “Yeah, I got it. Fuck. When did you become such a _dad_?” 

Bruce couldn’t help but smile. He got it. They were okay now but his son had reached his limit for sensitivity for the night. “When I brought home your older brother.”

Jason gave a weak laugh. “Well, you have the dad jokes down.” He tapped Womack’s leg with his boot. “Are you gonna take this sack of shit in anytime soon or should I tranq him again?”

“No. I’ll take him now.” Bruce had calmed down. He still hated Womack and likely always would, but he was in control of himself again. “Thank you. For everything.”

“Yeah, yeah… I’m gonna jump off the roof now to escape feelings. I’ll see you back at the Cave.” True to his word, Jason punctuated that statement by jumping off the roof. 

Bruce watched to see that his second eldest fired his grapple in time. He wasn’t as skilled at that as Dick or Tim, so his father worried sometimes. Jason was fine though, so Bruce got back to work. 

Red Robin had already dropped off the evidence Gordon needed, and the Commissioner was talking to a judge about a warrant as he sent officers to find Womack when Batman arrived at his office window. “You taught the little red one well. Kid was _in_ my office before I noticed him. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Bruce didn’t smile at the comment, even though he wanted to. “Womack’s on the roof.” 

Gordon immediately called out his door for someone to get on the roof and arrest their suspect. Bruce left while he was doing so. 

Tim and Jason were there already when Bruce made it back to the Batcave. Tim was wearing some of the spare clothes he left at the Manor and Jason was wearing Bruce’s sweatpants and one of his t-shirts. They were playing a computer game with Conner and had a few of the side monitors keeping tabs on what was happening with Womack and Samson.

“Hey, Bruce. Womack made a full confession already.” Tim motioned to one of the monitors, where a news anchor was reporting on Womack’s arrest after the public kidnapping of Timothy Wayne. They seemed to be painting a dramatic picture about the Red Hood going after the man for supporting child murderers and Batman heroically saving his life before turning him over to face justice for his crimes. Apparently, there was already a poll open to vote on who you thought had the right idea on how to handle Womack; the Red Hood or the Batman.

“Dick and Cass should be here within half an hour.” Tim leaned his head all the way back in his chair to see his father. “Still okay if we all stick around?”

“Of course.” Bruce pulled the cowl off. “You’re always welcome here, not just when a madman is threatening the family.”

Jason gave a short nod. “Good to know.” He grinned at his father. “You might want to clean up.” He indicated the news again. “Sounds like Gordon or Montoya or someone should be here soon to tell us about the arrest, and the press has already started calling.”

Bruce nodded. They would need to be careful over the next few weeks, until the story died down or a new story came up to draw everyone’s attention off of the family. There would be a bit of a scandal, considering a Wayne Enterprises employee stole company money and used it to try to kill one of the owner’s kids who was also his boss. His family could handle it, but that meant no hanging around in any part of the Batsuit.

Gordon called shortly after. He apologized for not contacting him sooner. Bruce understood that the man had been busy. He played it off as if he was just too pleased the man who had been trying to harm his kids was caught to care about anything else. It was mostly true. 

He, Tim, and Alfred staved off several calls from reporters, saying the family would give statements the next day. That they wanted to have the night to recover and enjoy being together. Bruce wasn’t surprised when several of the web editions were already posting about the Wayne family gathering together in the wake of their recent horror. 

Dick and Cassandra arrived shortly after. Both of them hugged their father. Dick called him ‘Dad’ when he greeted him. Neither of them seemed shaken up, just glad to be with their family. Glad that no one else had been hurt. 

When Dick called to Damian that they were there, the boy actually ran down the stairs and launched himself at his favorite brother. Bruce was pleased to notice Alfred filming as his eldest child hugged his youngest, because he’d been too shocked by the display of affection to react himself. 

Dick squeezed his little brother tightly, not letting his feet touch the ground for a moment. “Thanks, Little D. I needed that.”

“Well I thought you might be a little distressed after your eventful evening.” Damian was clearly trying to act as if he hadn’t been worried himself, despite Alfred and Clark both reporting otherwise. “Don’t expect that sort of greeting every time you come over.”

“I won’t.” Dick just smiled at him. “And yeah, it was kinda stressful. I think I might need to spend a little time unwinding before I go to bed. You up to hanging out with me?”

Damian looked pleased, but contained his excitement. “As I won’t be going out as Robin tonight, I think that would be a satisfactory arrangement.”

“This is great!” Jon called from the top of the stairs. “We found a game called Wizards and Warriors in Tim’s room! We can play all night!”

“ _Jon_.” Damian hissed his friend’s name and shot him a look from the bottom of the stairs. 

“Those books were under my old bed, inside one of Bruce’s shoe boxes.” Tim arched a brow at Damian. “Why were you even in my old room?”

Technically, it was _still_ Tim’s room. Bruce hadn’t told any of his kids to clear out their old stuff after they moved out. In fact, he liked that they’d each left a few things behind. It made it feel like the Manor was still their home too. 

Damian crossed his arms and tilted his head upwards more than was necessary to look at Tim in order to stare down at his nose at the other boy. “Jon was in need of supplies for our unexpected sleepover.”

Jason frowned at his youngest sibling. “Why didn’t you just loan him some of your stuff?”

“Because its _mine_.” Damian looked at Jason as though the notion of him sharing his belongings was absurd.

“Damian, you have to ask before you go through any of your siblings' things.” Bruce reminded his youngest. He felt bad that Tim’s privacy had been invaded after everything else that had happened lately. He was also displeased by his youngest son’s avarice. “And you need to learn to share. Now apologize to your brother.”

Damian’s eyes narrowed. Bruce crossed his arms. “Damian, it was incredibly rude to invade your brother’s space like that. How would you feel if Tim went through your things with his best friend? How would you feel if someone _took_ some of your private things while you were busy stopping criminals?”

Damian’s gaze turned slightly murderous at the thought. 

Jon called out an apology to Tim from the top of the stairs, which the older boy accepted graciously. 

Then Damian huffed out a breath. “Fine. Drake, I shouldn’t have gone through your private things.” He looked at his father the whole time he spoke. “Happy?”

“No.” Bruce answered immediately. It was difficult to scold one of his children after having been so worried about them for the last two days, but he reminded himself that this was as much for Damian as it was for Tim. “You won’t be having any of Alfred’s cookies tonight.”

Dick suddenly perked up. “Alfred made cookies?”

“And Jason made Jibarito,” Tim added. 

Cassandra immediately turned and headed toward the kitchen. “Food now. Game later.”

Dick pulled Damian along as he followed their sister. “Do you know how to play Wizards and Warriors? Because I don’t.”

Jon flew down to catch up to them as Damian stated that he didn’t think it could be too difficult, which they all knew meant ‘no’. Jon turned back to look at Tim and Conner. “Can’t you teach us?”

Conner looked at Tim. He raised his brows in question when his friend made eye contact. Tim released a quiet sigh. “Fine. I’ll GM.” 

“Thanks, Tim!” Jon pulled on his big brother’s arm. “Let’s go get cookies before Bizarro and Cassandra eat them all.”

Tim turned to Jason. “Are you going to play with us?”

Jason grinned. “Yeah. Why not?” He draped an arm around his little brother’s shoulders and led him toward the kitchen as well. “C’mon. Let’s fill Biz in and eat cookies in front of Damian.”

Bruce had to hold in a laugh. “Be nice to your brother!” He didn’t bother to specify who he was speaking to or about. It applied to them all anyway. 

Clark came from the kitchen with a plate of cookies. “I have to say, Alfred makes the best cookies. They’re as good as my Ma’s.” He held the plate out for Bruce to take one. 

He waited until Bruce was eating before asking, “How are you feeling now?”

“Better. My kids are safe.” Bruce chewed on a cookie and considered that he might want to talk about what he was thinking, the way he’d encouraged Jason to earlier. “I can’t help feeling like this is my fault. I screened each of the board members when I got involved with Wayne Enterprises years ago. I put Tim in a position to have to take over as CEO. I never noticed the hostility Womack was directing toward Tim.”

“We aren’t responsible for the actions of others, Bruce...except for our kids.” Clark looked toward the kitchen. Perhaps watching their kids. “And they’ve done everything right throughout this. They had each other’s backs. That’s because they were raised right.”

“They are truly impressive.” Bruce agreed. He was proud of his children. But that didn’t mean he was quite willing to let himself off the hook. “That’s was Womack’s defense; that he wasn’t responsible for what a group of Rogues or criminals did. That they were only told to hold or watch my children, so anything else they did was all on them.”

“That’s entirely different, Bruce. He manipulated the situation and he knew exactly what he was doing. You know that. Your kids know that.” Clark looked concerned. “So why are you still beating yourself up?”

“You just commented that they were raised right. What if that isn’t entirely true? What if, instead of passing on my best traits, I’ve passed on my worst?” The concern had been there, at the edge of his consciousness, for some time. The events of the past couple days or even months had brought it into focus.

“Jason’s anger. Cassandra’s elusiveness. Tim’s all business approach to life. Damian’s arrogance and bossiness. Those are all traits I possess. Those are all traits I’ve tried and had little success in trying to improve in myself.”

Bruce looked at his friend. “How do I help them improve if I can’t even change myself? Do I even have the right to try?” 

That had been something Bruce had considered since his return from his near-fatal fight with Darkseid. His children had all moved on and in some cases, grown up. He hadn’t been sure if he’d had the right to infringe on their hard-won independence. Seeing them work together as a family had reminded him that they were a family first, and he’d been trying to be more of a father. Sometimes though, he wasn’t sure where to draw the line. 

Clark didn’t hesitate in his answer. “Of course you do, you’re their father. We all have bad traits, Bruce. You don’t get to pick and choose which ones your kids pick up, but you _can_ help guide them. You can show them which traits to nurture and which to deny.

“And your children _want_ that guidance, even if they don’t always show it in a way you can understand.” Clark smiled. “They’re each between thirteen and twenty-three years old. They’re still in puberty, they’re figuring out how they fit into the world. Give yourself a few more years before you assume you failed as a parent.” 

Hearing it phrased that way made Bruce realize he was looking at the situation the wrong way. He had five amazing children and he was feeling angry at himself because he saw some of his own flaws in them. He could help them become more amazing still. He could still improve himself. He was Batman. He was Bruce Wayne. 

Very little ever stopped him. 

Very little ever stopped his family.

He nodded toward his friend, who smiled and offered him another cookie. 

“Considering how excited the kids are about their big impromptu sleepover, I guess me and the boys are staying.”

“We have the space.” Bruce smiled. “And they deserve a night of fun.”

“That they do.” Clark checked the kitchen again, and then frowned slightly. “Was Damian forbidden from all sweets tonight or just the cookies? Because he’s eating a box of zingers with Dick and Jon.”

“Just the cookies, that’s fine. It was just a mild punishment. I was hoping to make him consider how disrespectful he’d been to his brother.” Bruce doubted it would have much of an effect on the source of the problem, but at least Tim might not have to deal with such open disregard in the future. He could figure out a way to teach Damian respect separate from his siblings. That way the boy wouldn't be resentful toward any of them. 

“Ah.” Clark nodded his understanding. “We had to send Jon to bed without dessert a couple times lately for arguing with his mother about bedtime.”

“You know, I’ve yet to have that argument.” 

Clark chuckled. “That’s because your kids never have a bedtime.”

“True.” Bruce grinned. “But I have sent each of the boys to go to bed earlier than I was calling it quits. Only received minimal complaining.”

Clark smiled. “I guess you’re just a scarier dad than I am.”

Bruce tilted his head, considering. “Well I do have a scarier suit.”

“Superman is meant to inspire hope, not fear. That’s entirely your territory.” Clark nudged his friend. “And you do it so well.” He dropped his voice into a less impressive growly baritone, clearly trying to match Bruce’s Batman growl. “ _I am the night, blah-blah-blah._ ”

“Was that supposed to be Dad?” Dick asked as he headed toward the stairs. He looked at Clark and gestured over his throat. “Its gotta be deeper, more guttural. Like, _I’m Batman._ ” 

Bruce had to admit, Dick’s impression was pretty good. Of course he’d had more practice than anyone, save for Bruce himself.

“And its not just the throat.” Jason added as he joined them, carrying a bowl of popcorn. “You gotta use your diaphragm and project the voice so it sounds like you’re almost talking into the person’s head. _I am vengeance._ ”

Jason’s Batman was actually very impressive. Bruce hadn’t known that. 

“What are you guys doing? Weren’t you getting the box of W&W stuff?” Tim asked as he joined his brothers. 

“We had to stop to give Clark tips on the Batman growl.” Dick explained as he grabbed a handful of Jason’s popcorn.

Jason nodded. “He really doesn’t do it justice.”

“Don’t feel too bad.” Tim looked sympathetic as he addressed Clark. “I’ve never been able to do it.” He held up a finger. “You know who does a really good Batman? Cass. _Nails it_.”

“Every time.” Dick agreed. “She used her Batman voice on King Shark the other week. He looked terrified.”

“Nice.” Jason ate a handful of popcorn. “Do you ever wish we could film some of that stuff?” He motioned toward his little brother. “Timbers took out some weaponized drones the other day. Looked _awesome_.”

He nodded when Dick looked like he was impressed just imagining it. “I wish I could have sent you a video.”

Clark glanced toward the kitchen, still smiling. “Conner is asking what’s taking you guys so long. Apparently, some of them are very anxious to start playing.”

Tim turned back and called, just loud enough for the Kryptonian to hear. “We’re getting there.” To Clark and his father, he excused himself, stating he was going to get his gaming books and gear.

Jason hit Bruce’s arm with the back of his hand, just enough to make sure he had his father’s attention. “It okay if we use the den? That’d probably be more comfortable than all of us packing into one of our rooms or playing at the kitchen table.”

“That’s fine.” Bruce recalled the conversation he'd been having with Clark before his boys came over to critique his friend’s Batman impersonation. “Just call it a night at a decent time. Remember the Kents have curfews.”

His sons agreed that they’d try not to keep their friends up too late. 

Clark laughed. “I appreciate that, boys, but I think they can stay up a little later just this once.” He turned to the kitchen again and stated very clearly; “Jon, midnight. Conner, one-thirty. No arguing.”

“What about Biz?” Jason asked.

“He doesn’t have a bedtime.” Clark explained. “When he isn’t hyped up on adrenaline from fighting crime, he usually goes to sleep early enough anyway.”

“Yeah, I noticed that.” Jason started moving toward the stairs as Tim was coming back with the box from one of Bruce’s old riding boots and Bizarro’s doll, Pup-Pup, sitting on top. Jason stopped and smiled. “Cool, you remembered it.” He then spoke to Dick as he followed Tim toward the den. “Tell the others we’re setting up in the den.”

Dick gave a two-fingered salute and headed back to the kitchen. 

“You were right, Clark.” Bruce smiled. “I can’t be doing anything too badly with them.” And, as his friend had noted, he still had time to do even better by them. 

He would. 

Bruce woke up very early, at a time most would still consider nighttime. He decided to head to the Batcave, to check up on what had been happening with Womack, Samson, and Monroe, and to get up to speed on what the media had been saying about the events of the past few days. First he decided to check on his kids. 

Dick’s room was the one closest to Bruce’s. He didn’t doubt that Alfred did that intentionally, back when he’d taken in the then eight-year-old. It made it all too easy for Bruce to be aware if his new child was restless, frighted, or sad. It made it all too easy to peek in on the boy or for Dick to meander into Bruce’s room if he wanted comfort or company. It was no wonder they’d bonded so quickly. 

Dick was asleep, with one arm dangling off the bed at a strange angle and a content expression on his face. Bruce carefully tucked his arm up beside his chest so he wouldn’t lose circulation or wake up with it sore. Then he brushed the hair off of his son’s forehead and smiled at the happy sigh Dick released. He slipped out as silently as he’d entered. 

Damian’s room was next. His kids had brought a mattress from one of the guest rooms in and set it up on the floor for Jon to sleep on. The boy had on a sleep-mask Bruce didn’t recognize and Tim’s Nightwing t-shirt. Damian was in his bed, in his usual pajamas, snoring softly, with Titus asleep at his feet. Alfred the Cat was asleep in the dog’s jumbo orthopedic bed. Bruce left them be. 

Another guest mattress had been carried into Tim’s room, however, instead of a person, it was occupied by Krypto. In Tim’s bed was Conner. Tim and his cat were nowhere to be seen. Bruce frowned at that. Even if Tim had slipped out, Conner wouldn’t have just appropriated his friend’s bed. Which meant Tim wasn’t expected to be returning, assuming he’d been there at all after everyone went to bed. 

Bruce decided he’d check his study and the Batcave once he’d finished checking up on the kids. Those were the most likely places to find a restless Tim.

It turned out, he didn’t need to go that far, however.

Next was Jason’s room. Bruce saw his second eldest on the right side of his bed, slightly curled on his side, in easy sleep. One arm was stretched out across the bed, barely touching the Tim-sized lump under the bedding on the other side. Tim’s cat, Dex-Starr, had been lying in a ball against his owner’s chest, but he sat up to inspect Bruce when he stepped into the room. As Bruce watched, the cat adjusted his posture so he could swiftly launch himself at the man if he came any closer. Bruce held up a hand and took a step back, into the doorway. The cat watched him for another long moment, then shifted and began kneading his owner’s chest before curling up against him again.

Tim curled around his cat a little more, one hand sleepily worked its way out of the bedding to hold the creature. Jason shifted so his hand was firmly against his little brother’s back. The tension in Tim’s sleeping shoulders eased and he settled into a calmer sleep. Bruce stepped out of the room and quietly closed the door. He doubted his sons wanted everyone to know if one or both of them had needed some comfort to sleep that night. 

Cassandra was sprawled out across her bed, as if claiming the whole thing for herself. Her phone was in power-save mode, perched atop one of her pillows. Bruce guessed she’d been talking or texting with one of her friends when she went to sleep, possibly checking to see how they’d done patrolling Blüdhaven on their own and letting them know she might be gone another night. His daughter was completely relaxed in sleep, comfortable in her surrounding and in her own mind. He smiled and watched her for a moment before quietly stepping out and closing the door. 

Bizarro’s snoring could be heard coming from the guest room down the hall. Bruce grinned when he saw Clark slip out of the room, having apparently checked on his eldest. His friend smiled and nodded toward the stairs. Neither spoke until they reached the bottom. They still kept their voices low, so kids with super hearing or hyper awareness wouldn't be disturbed. 

“Jon’s asleep in Damian’s room. Conner and Krypto are in Tim’s. They’re all asleep.” Bruce wasn’t going to bring up the fact that Tim wasn’t in his room if he didn’t have to. 

Clark nodded. “I was a little concerned Jon and Damian might try to sneak out.”

“So was I.” Bruce had hoped the boys would respect the serious of the situation the family had found itself in, but they were young and flooded with hormones. They couldn’t be blamed much if they thought there wasn’t any harm in sneaking out for some daring-do. He was glad they’d listened, but he also figured their brothers and Damian's sister had played a large part by engaging with them late into the night. 

From what they’d heard and seen, the kids had a fun night playing games and sharing snacks.

“Hey, I’m going to fly home to help Lois feed the cows. I should be back before any of the boys wake up.”

“There’s no need to rush.” Bruce assured his friend. “The Manor’s full enough, we can handle a few more boys. Alfred and Dick have all sorts of Summer activities planned for Damian. I’m sure Jon will enjoy them as well. And Jason and Tim will like hanging out with Conner and Bizarro.”

“I know they’ll enjoy it too.” Clark smiled. “Well, if you’re sure it isn’t any bother-”

Bruce waved the suggestion off. “Take your time. Take Lois out for breakfast. Watch the sunrise. Or just enjoy an empty house and sleep in. We’ll be fine here.”

Clark headed off to Metropolis with a bag of Alfred’s cookies and Bruce headed down to the Batcave. Once he was up to speed on everything that had happened and everything that was being reported, he could put together a statement. He was relieved to see that Samson had been taken back to jail and was denied bail as he awaited trial this time. Monroe was still in the hospital, but GCPD had a pair of officers watching his room while they investigated his actions since being released and prepared for a new trial. A little later, he and his children could make sure they had all the details on the Wayne end straightened out. 

In the meantime, they’d enjoy being together and having their friends there. Bruce certainly enjoyed it when each of his kids were around. It would have been nicer under better circumstances, but they were each alright and they’d put the bad guys away. 

He found Tim in the kitchen later, scrolling through newsfeeds on his phone while he made waffles. The other children started filtering down gradually. Dick arranged for Kate and Luke to help him and Cassandra train Harper and Stephanie for a few days. Damian demanded and Jon pestered Tim to continue their game from the night before. Conner asked after his father and seemed pleased that he was spending some time home alone. Bizarro and Jason ate five waffles each and then left to play with Tim and Damian’s cats. 

Alfred soon came down to start the day’s activities and get Damian moving on his chores, which his siblings and their friends volunteered to help him with. 

After a few weeks, it would be back to business as usual. Until then, Bruce would enjoy having his children around more. And afterwards, he’d try to put more effort into guiding them again. He’d learned a few things over the course of the past few days, but one thing stood out the most. Bruce was a father first and foremost.

It was time he acted like it.


End file.
